Foresight
by Alrira and Breezy
Summary: The war is over and the results are horrid. Due to this future Naruto and his allies will take chances and return to the past to make changes to the future they witnessed.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey! I am back from a really long absence. I'm sorry! Um…I still on writers block for Wings so yeah…but this is a new story that wouldn't leave my head. So Enjoy! I will try to update wings when I get an idea but that will come later. I'm sorry!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter One: Returning

"Hokage-sama?" The ANBU found the Hokage looking over the ruins of their Village, Konohagakure. Sapphire blue eyes looked over the rubble and remains, sadness shining clearly in their depths. There were the remains of the ramen stand that he and his team used to eat at with the remains of the dango stand next door. The Hokage was standing on what remained of the shinobi academy, a red haired Kazekage next to him providing quiet comfort. The ANBU winced inwardly as she looked at the ruins herself. "Hokage-sama, the last of the enemy have been eliminated sir. Including Uchiha Sasuke."

"Thank you Ino-chan." The voice was heavy with weariness and sorrow, the tone betraying the Hokage's young age. Wind rustled the blonde hair as the 19 year-old turned to face his companions. Uzumaki Naruto was the youngest Hokage to ever grace the village, beating the Fourth by 5 years. The teen's shoulders sagged and he mentally recounted the group in front of him' the group that symbolized the surviving villagers of his once proud village. There were 12 survivors in all and including himself, 13: ANBU Captain Inuzuka Kiba, ANBU Torture and Interrogation Captain Yamanaka Ino, ANBU member Hyuuga Hanabi, Jonin Taijutsu expert Rock Lee, Ex-Hokage Honou Tsunade, the Snake Sannin Mitarashi Anko, Jonins Shiranui Genma, and Namiashi Raido, Chuunins Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo and ex-nukenins Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. Standing alongside them were Kazekage Sabaku No Gaara and his elder siblings Temari and Kankuro. The number of deaths in the now ended war were staggering and now both the young Kages had to endure the loss of their village shinobi.

"What do we do now?" Kiba finally asked. His voice was hoarse and his expression showed signs of sorrow and fatigue. The young man leaned against his katana and Akamaru, unable to stand himself as three years of pain and loss finally caught up with them.

"I don't know anymore Ki-chan." Naruto murmured, using the nickname easily. "I suppose we start building the village from scratch."

"That could take ages Naruto." Tsunade said softly. Naruto made a noise showing that he knew.

"What else could we do?" the Hokage asked. No one answered him, no one save for one.

_"You could always find a way to make it better."_ A voice in Naruto's head offered.

_/"And how do you suppose we do that?"/ _Naruto asked. The voice hummed thoughtfully and then said

_"Time Travel. Shukaku and I could provide the chakra and seals for you all to travel back and change everything so the future might not be this…horrid."_

"Naruto-sama?" Hanabi asked softly seeing the vacant expression on the older boy's face.

"The fox suggested we time travel." Naruto said after a few moments of deliberation. "He said that he and Shukaku could provide Gaara and I the chakra and the knowledge of the seals and we'd go back to fix things."

"Will we forget all that's happened?" Lee asked, his eyes bright with curiosity. Naruto shook his head. Genma and Raido smiled.

"Good. I'd hate to forget how good a Hokage you are Naruto-sama." Said Kotetsu. "I'm up for it. Izumo you too right?"

"Hai. We have nothing left to lose now." The other chuunin said quietly. Naruto smiled.

"Very well." Gaara said. It seemed that no one would object now.

"Itachi-san, Kisame-san you are aware that you two will be with the Akatsuki still if we do go back." Lee asked. The two nodded.

"We will be with the Akatsuki but we will always stand with you Hokage-sama." Itachi said, earning a nod from Kisame.

"Then let's do this. "Naruto beamed. He nodded to Gaara and instantly their hands began to flash through the seals. Gold and red chakra flared up and with a flash and a boom, the world's youngest Kazekage, Hokage and their closest allies vanished.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through an open window, splashing the golden rays of a messy bed. Dust particles shown in the light and the one sleeping groaned. A hand swatted at the rays trying to block the light. 

"Damn it. Stupid sun." The man grumbled. He winced and hissed when a sharp pang in his head made him wonder what he had been doing the night before. Suddenly brown eyes snapped open and the man was instinctively alert and waiting for something. What he was waiting for came in the form of a slender hand as it slid across his chest and the owner snuggled into him. In a swift movement, a kunai snapped into his hands and the bed covers went flying. A body was flipped over and slammed against the mattress, the kunai held to their throat as his knee dug into their spine.

"Itai!" The person cried out.

"Who are you?" He demanded, pressing the kunai slightly. The person, female, he deduced from the curve of their back, whimpered. He mentally noted that the woman did not seem to have shinobi abilities. Just then the door slammed open.

"Genma! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shiranui Genma hissed and his eyes shot towards the door. Familiar faces swam in his vision and they were staring at him in surprise. "Don't kill the poor woman!"

"Shiranui Genma release that poor woman before she gets a heart attack!" A familiar voice barked as the scarred man pushed his way forward. Their eyes met and Genma noted the amused sparkle. Slowly he loosened his hold and the woman scrambled off his bed, grabbing her dress from off the floor as she fled. "How hard did you hit the alcohol you idiot?"

"Obviously harder than I remember." Genma muttered standing from his bed. He suddenly realized that he was facing a group of shinobi in his boxers. With an inward grimace, his hands formed a few seals that instantly set the watching shinobi on guard and a hail of kunai and shuriken alike flew towards him as smoke covered him.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Genma's voice barked from behind the smoke. As it cleared, the shinobi were in varying stages of embarrassment as the jonin glared at him. The scarred Namiashi Raido was trying hard not to laugh as he watched their faces contort when Genma was seen. Where he was previously in polka-dot boxers, he was now fully clothed. Dark blue pants not loose but not tight either hung off his hips with his kunai pouch tied around his right thigh, a dark blue sleeveless shirt adorned his upper body with his flack vest over the garment and traditional sandals were on his feet. Fingerless gloves were on his hands, the material reaching his elbows and his hiate was in it's usual style on his head the clothe covering his hair as the leaf symbol glinted from the back of his head.

An array of kunai and shuriken were at his feet. Genma scowled and he withdrew his trademark metal senbon from a hidden pocket. The room was filled with a strange, tense silence as the group stared at Genma. The watching Jonin at the door were a bit more than surprised while Genma was ready to spring at a moments notice. Raido caught his eyes and the other man discreetly signaled him and Genma inwardly sighed.

"Senaijashu!" The voice was short and snapped as a blur of brown flew at him. Genma scowled even more as the snake wound almost lovingly around his torso as the woman was allowed to walk through. Mitarashi Anko stared at him in amusement.

"What a fine way to recover from a hangover Shiranui. Terrorize a poor civilian woman and come this close from butchering an entire squad of jonin in your own house." She drawled smoothly. Her eyes narrowed. "The academy just graduated a bunch of brats. We're going to need the jonin alive to teach them all to become genin."

Genma huffed and the other shinobi dispersed until it was just Raido, Genma and Anko. Anko nodded to Raido who shut the door and the python disappeared with a poof. Genma managed a small smile and he sat on the mattress. For a few seconds no one spoke until Genma gave a short barking laugh.

"It worked after all. You don't know how relieved I was to see Gai's hideous eyebrows and Asuma and his cancer sticks just now." Genma said with a fond smile. Raido and Anko exchanged glances.

"We know. Believe me we know." Raido said simply.

* * *

Umino Iruka was promptly surprised to be ambushed early in the morning by three enthusiastic genin graduates of his when he stepped into the classroom. He blinked at them in surprise and the just grinned and took his things to his desk before bouncing away to their seats. Iruka raised an eyebrow and he felt surprised by the new appearance of the three genin as they sat down. 

Seated towards the back was one Uzumaki Naruto and the boy had discarded his orange jumpsuit, settling for much darker colors. The blonde boy wore a dark turquoise sleeveless turtleneck with a mesh undershirt underneath it seemed. Black pants of some strange material were on the lower half of his body and he also wore silver shin guards, his kunai holster in its usual spot on his thigh. Naruto wore the traditional sandals as well as two dark orange wrist wraps that looked like they had been rigged to fire darts. His hiate was around his neck, the blue cloth having been switched to black.

About two rows below the blonde was Inuzuka Kiba. The boy grinned and waved when he saw Iruka looking at him. The Inuzuka heir had traded his usual coat for a simple light jacket that was partially unzipped to so his puppy, Akamaru could be carried. Beneath the jacket Iruka could see a mesh shirt that had odd bulges and Kiba seemed to be hiding a scroll or two from inside his jacket. The boy wore simple black pants, the material similar to the pants that Naruto was wearing and Iruka noticed a bulge in a place or two and realized he had hidden scrolls in the pockets as well. His hiate was around his forehead; the cloth black and the sandals were on his feet.

Iruka was surprised to hear a lack of squealing towards one Uchiha Sasuke as he found the boy and he found the reason when he saw Yamanaka Ino chattering away with Nara Shikamaru, ignoring the Uchiha boy. Like the other two, she too had changed her attire. The Yamanaka wore a dark green halter-top over a mesh shirt and a pair of black pants, also of the same material as Naruto, with her kunai holster strapped to her thigh. Silver bangles gleamed on her upper arms and two bracelets were on her wrists. Iruka had a sinking suspicion that the bangles and the bracelets weren't just for fashion. Instead of the traditional sandals Ino wore what looked to be boots on her feet and the casually draped black jacket on her chair reminded him eerily of a jonin he knew. Her hiate was on her forehead the leaf symbol glimmering proudly.

"Ohayo Iruka-sensei!" Haruno Sakura's voice jerked Iruka from his thoughts as he smiled at the pink haired girl as she arrived in the classroom. Ino looked up at her voice and the blonde girl positively beamed.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" She chirped, waving towards the girl Sakura blinked at the sudden greeting and she blinked even more when she saw Ino's attire. Sakura smiled nervously and she hesitantly nodded towards the other girl before she hurried towards a seat next to Sasuke.

"Ino-chan?" The blonde girl instinctively slid a hand towards her thigh looping a finger through a kunai as she palmed the weapon and she tilted her head back. Kiba smiled at her and the girl relaxed, her kunai leaving her hand. "Ne, Ino-chan what team do you think you'll be on?"

Ino smiled, noticing the sudden nervous tone the boy supported and she saw the silent boy next to Sakura; Uchiha Sasuke. Suddenly she remembered a flash of a kunai and red blood and she shivered. Kiba looked at her worriedly and Ino shook her head.

"I don't know what team I'll be on." Ino said with a shrug. Kiba nodded before he suddenly stiffened as one Aburame Shino took a seat next to him. The Aburame looked at him curiously behind his sunglasses and Kiba managed a shaky grin. "Ki-chan, c'mon let's go see Naru-chan. Lee said we'd meet up for lunch and I wanna see if he got the memo."

Kiba nodded almost immediately and the duo set off towards Naruto. The blonde looked up at their arrival and a faint grin settled on his face. He motioned for the two to take a seat.

"Just today only mutt." Kiba grinned and plopped into the seat. Ino giggled and she sat on the desk before switching to a seat when Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Lee said we'd head for Dango during lunch. Want to join us?" Ino rolled her eyes and Kiba declared, "Of course."

A/N: And that's the end of Chapter One! Whee! I hope you all like this. Review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's Chapter two! One of my reviewers had mentioned that the story title was the title of many other stories and I agreed so I changed the title within an hour of the story's initial posting. Thank you for reading and taking the time to read my story.

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Two: The Teams

"Naru-chan." The boy was jerked awake form a sleep he hadn't remembered falling into. Frantically he glanced at his surroundings as he tried to recollect what he had been doing previously. Ino and Kiba glanced at him with slightly raised eyebrows and Naruto then realized that they were not under attack. Visibly the boy sagged into his chair and his ears focused onto the words that Iruka was saying.

"…I am pleased to tell you all that as of now, you are no longer my students but rather full fledged shinobi of this village." Iruka was saying, a proud grin on his face. "But, among the ranks of shinobi you all would be ranked the lowest as genin. Your greatest challenges lie ahead and do not be afraid to ask for help on your journey. On that journey you will be required to take various arrays of missions to help you grow into your true potential. By doing that you will be organized into three man cells, a jonin as your instructor. The jonins are more senior shinobi and they will help coach and guide you along the way."

Kiba inwardly smiled, his mind recalling the same speech that the Chuunin had given them before. Before long Iruka had gone into teams and Kiba waited for his name to be called.

"…Cell 7 is Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto blinked upon hearing a squeal of delight and his eyes instantly locked on the pink haired girl. Naruto frowned and his heart went out to one of his closest companions, recalling how the other had pursued the pink haired kunoichi until another angel had taken her place after a volley of rejections. "Cell 8 consists of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba. Cell 9 is style in cycle from previous years so Cell 10 is Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino."

"Same ol' same ol'." Kiba muttered Ino hummed in agreement.

"Now you all have time before your jonin instructors will arrive so go out and have lunch. I'll see you all back here in a while." Iruka smiled as the graduating genin all began walking out.

"So we're meeting Lee at the dango shop right?" Ino asked as she pulled on her jacket. If it wasn't for her blonde hair Iruka swore he was looking at a mini Morino Ibiki. Naruto nodded.

"Do you think that Genma has time off to join us for lunch?" Kiba asked. The other two shrugged. "Pity. I was hoping he could show me a bit more about the senbon. Oh well."

"Ano…Ki-Kiba-san?" The brunette turned curiously to see his new teammates looking at him. Naruto and Ino turned as well. Hyuuga Hinata blushed brightly at their scrutiny. "Wou-would you like to join us for l-lunch?"

Kiba blinked and he opened his mouth before closing it. He repeated this a couple of times before he turned and looked helplessly at Ino and Naruto. Hinata giggled softly at his actions and Naruto shook his head.

"Go on ahead Taichou. We'll fill you in later." Ino said with a smile. Naruto grinned and began pushing her towards Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji. "Na-Naru?"

"Go on. Team Bonding!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully. "I'll fill you two in later. Right now priority is Team Bonding."

"Naruto." Kiba said with a frown. The blonde whirled around so quickly that Kiba squeaked. The look on the blonde's face was strangely intimidating and Kiba laughed nervously.

"Team bonding Inuzuka-taichou. That's an order. Same with you Yamanaka-taichou." His expression melted and the happy go lucky blonde was back. "Make up for lost time. You six barely talked to each other during the academy so now is as good a time as any to start to know each other!"

"Hai Naru-chan." Ino said giving in to the blonde's order. Naruto looked expectantly at Kiba and the other boy nodded. Naruto beamed.

"Great! I'm going to head off to lunch with Lee. Ja!" Naruto waved at the six of them before marching out of the room. Kiba sighed and ran a hand through his hair before he followed his teammates.

"The idiot." He muttered. "What about _his_ team bonding?"

* * *

Rock Lee whistled happily as he walked with his team for lunch. Pale white eyes glared at the back of his head. Hyuuga Neji and Higarashi Tenten couldn't place the attitude change the taijutsu user had gone through. Although the fact that he didn't spout "Flames of youth" every ten seconds like their estranged instructor was pleasant but they wanted to know why he stopped. Lee ignored their stares as he turned into a dango shop. 

"Lee, we're going to head to someplace else for lunch okay?" Tenten asked the boy. Lee just smiled and waved the two off. The kunoichi grinned and together she and Neji headed off. The genin looked around until he spotted the familiar mop of blonde hair. Grinning he walked over and sat down.

"Hey." Naruto looked up abruptly and swallowed his dango. Lee swiped a stick of dango and chewed on the food. "Where's Ino-chan and Kiba-kun?"

"I told them to bond with their teammates." Naruto said with a grin. Lee frowned slightly.

"What about your own team?" Lee asked quietly. Naruto froze before he shrugged.

"I never really got along with them anyways. So I'm not gonna bother." Naruto said simply. "Ki-can and Ino-chan actually got along with their teammates."

"That's why I think you should start now." Before Naruto could ask, Lee dragged the boy to his feet, dropped a handful of cash and they walked out, Lee dragging a struggling Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

"Haruno-san! Uchiha-san!" The pink haired girl looked up at the call of her family name. She was greeted with the sight of a strange boy dragging her blonde haired teammate towards her. Sakura was slightly unnerved as the boy walked over. She took in his appearance. The boy was wearing a green spandex suit and orange legwarmers. Sakura gapped inwardly upon seeing giant eyebrows but did not laugh out loud. The fact that he could easily drag the "dead last" was an amazing feat since the boy in question was struggling. Sasuke glanced up at the arriving two and that was about it. The boy snorted. 

"Lee let me go!" Their blonde teammate exclaimed. "Rock Lee I'm warning you!"

"Konnichiwa! Watashi wa Rock Lee." The boy bowed politely, letting Naruto drop from his grasp. Naruto growled and dusted himself off as he stood.

"Erm…I'm Haruno Sakura and he's Uchiha Sasuke." Sakura said, her voice slightly nervous. Lee smiled and Sakura winced. His teeth were blinding. "Can we help you?"

"Hai. I was enjoying lunch with Naruto-kun but realized I had prior engagements planned so I was wondering if you two, since you're teammates, would keep Naruto-kun company." Lee said cheerfully. Naruto scowled.

"Er…I guess we could." Sakura said glancing at Sasuke. The dark haired boy made no move to disagree with her. Lee beamed.

"Brilliant! Naruto-kun, I'll be going now. Ja Naruto-kun!" and with that the spandex wearing boy was off. Naruto scowled even more.

"Naru-chan if you scowl anymore your face is going to stay permanently like that." Ino's teasing voice made Sakura look up to see Ino waving happily at Cell 7 from her perch on a branch and the pink haired girl couldn't muffle the shriek that came from her. Ino squealed in surprise at the shriek and she promptly fell from her perch. The girl didn't fall far when a blur caught her.

"You know you're actually a lot heavier than you look Ino-chan." Shikamaru said lazily as he set Ino up right on tree branch. Ino grinned. From below, Sakura slowed her heart rate and Sasuke glanced at the Nara heir while Choji arrived, hands in pockets.

"You mastered the trust exercise already?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. Ino just laughed. Before she could say anything a spike of chakra was felt and Naruto glanced around for the source.

"Naruto!" A voice barked. The form of one fuming Inuzuka Kiba stormed over, Hinata and Shino following him at a much easier pace. "I cannot do this team bonding thing! They don't talk! I can't get them to talk!"

"Perhaps we would talk if you quit drilling us with questions Inuzuka-san and gave us a chance to answer." Shino said stiffly as he adjusted his glasses. Kiba gave a whine and he looked helplessly at Ino and Naruto. Hinata looked at both her teammates, nervously pressing her fingers together. Naruto groaned lightly at Cell 8 and he sat down heavily. Ino and Kiba suddenly looked alarmed, the anger melting away from Kiba's face. Sakura looked concerned and even Sasuke looked at him. Naruto sighed and ruffled his hair.

"_You have to get them to get along. I don't think we want to see that future again do we?"_ the voice thundered in Naruto's mind and he inhaled sharply as reality came crashing back onto him. Ino was quick to his side, Kiba not one step behind her.

"Naru-chan?" Ino asked.

"Just…just try to get along Ki-chan. Please?" Naruto asked softly. "Ino-chan and Lee-kun can so just try okay? We don't want _it_ to happen again."

"Naruto-kun?" Kiba asked. His brows furrowed and the meaning behind the blonde's words slammed heavily into him. He winced as images flashed through his mind, images of their last mission together and he had been the only one to get away: A mangled body with small black bugs twitching weakly in gruesome open cuts across the chest; A small female form with a pike through her back, pale eyes staring at him, blood gurgling from her mouth as she tried to breathe. Kiba turned pale and he clapped a hand to his mouth before hurrying away. He got about three yards from them before his stomach heaved. Shino's eyebrows rose and he glanced suspiciously at Naruto before he and Hinata moved to check on their retching teammate. Hinata grimaced as she gently rubbed Kiba's back.

"Kiba-san? Kiba-san are you all right?" Hinata asked him softly. Kiba's head bobbed as the retching slowed and finally stopped.

"Gomen Hinata-san. So much for that lunch." Kiba said lightly. Hinata smiled and Shino handed a kerchief to the boy. Kiba blinked before smiling gratefully. Shino just nodded. Sakura and Sasuke moved to help Naruto up and the blonde boy blinked in surprise.

_/"I guess that's a start."/ _Naruto spoke to the Kyuubi.

"_Don't underestimate that kit. The wings of change have begun to beat."_ The Kyuubi said to him.

* * *

Iruka smiled as his students reassembled in the classroom. He noted that Kiba was a little pale and wondered what could be the cause of his paleness. Hinata and Shino were hovering near by as if he was going to pass out at any moment. The boy stumbled when heading up the stairs and Shino and Hinata were quick to steady him. Cell 8 wasn't the only cell to have bonded during the lunch break it seemed. Cell 10 were pretty friendly with each other and Ino even went as far as to snag Choji's bag of chips, sharing with Shikamaru. The Akimichi didn't so much as blink, settling for swatting Ino lightly on the arm and taking his chips back. He seemed to think for a moment and he offered the bag to the blonde girl and his friend. Cell 7 weren't as close as the other two teams but they would get there. Naruto was talking animatedly with Sakura and Sasuke added his input every once in a while. 

"Yuuhei Kurenai here for Cell 7." The class and Iruka looked up to see a gorgeous woman with dark hair and red eyes in the doorway. Behind her was a man that towered over her by a head, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Sarutobi Asuma here for Cell 10." He said gruffly.

Both cells walked up and Kurenai instantly noted Kiba's paleness. The boy nodded to her and his teammates flanked him. Ino looked at Asuma for a moment before she reached right up, plucked the cigarette from his mouth and crushed in beneath her boots. Asuma looked surprised at her action while her teammates grinned slightly. The young girl planted her hands on her hips, a hard look in her eyes that made both jonin instantly think: Morino Ibiki.

"Kurenai, Asuma you're in my way." The voice made both jonin jump in surprise as a silver haired man sauntered in the room. "Hatake Kakashi here for Cell 7."

"You're on time Kakashi-kun." Kurenai said quietly in surprise as the man's team stood. Kakashi cringed, the action only seen really around his eyes.

"Anko threatened his manhood if he was late." The voice was cheery as the senbon chewing jonin walked in around the other three. "Shiranui Genma. I'm here for Cell 3"

"Genma!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. The man grinned and waved to the boy. Naruto blinked when the man's words caught up with his brain. "Did Anko-chan really threaten Sensei's manhood?"

A/N: And that's chapter two! That seemed like a good spot to end! I hope you all like this chapter although I personally though it was just a bit dragging. Thanks for reading though! Leave me a message or a review I'd love to hear what you say!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey! I back with another chapter! Thank you to my reviewers. I am glad to know that you did not think it was to dragging Tigerrelly! So onto the next Installment for FORESIGHT!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Three: 66 percent of Failure!

Kakashi was more than annoyed when he was forced to drag his student away from the brown haired jonin. Genma smiled disarmingly as Naruto chuckled. Sakura giggled while the tale was being told, starting with Naruto's comment to when the kunoichi named Anko had tracked down the infamous copy Nin to Kakashi begging for his life as the woman hung him upside down. Sasuke could not keep the smirk off his face as he listened. After about three minutes into the story, Iruka had booted the group into the hall since Kiba's laughter was distracting and the jonin that had entered to collect their teams were unable to speak over the noise. Kurenai and Asuma were more than amused as Kakashi finally dragged his cell to the roof where Naruto and Sakura managed to stop giggling. Genma waved as the silver haired jonin frog marched them off.

"How am I going to put this?" Kakashi hummed in thought. "I know. Based on what went on in there I'd have to say that I dislike Sakura and Sasuke and I absolutely detest Naruto and think he's an idiot." At this the said blonde genin face faulted into the concrete of the roof. Sakura scowled and Sasuke frowned. Naruto mumbled something against the concrete before he decided to pick himself up and stood to Sasuke's left. "Now I'd like to know a little about yourselves."

"Like what Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"You know dreams, ambitions, what you hate the most, favorite thing the usual." Kakashi said with a shrug.

"Help us out. You're the sensei show us how it's done." Said Naruto. "You are a complete mystery to the three of us anyways."

"Oh…me? My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm the kind of person who doesn't feel like talking about his dislikes or likes. My dreams for the future are none of your business…but anyways I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi said with a smile, his visible eye curving into a U.

"That was informative. We only learned his name and he already told us that when he entered the classroom." Sakura whispered to Sasuke and Naruto, the former grunting as the trio sat down on the concrete.

"Now it's your turn. Starting with you on the right." Kakashi pointed to Naruto. The blonde blinked and thought for a moment. "Come on Kid its not that hard."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What I like is instant cup ramen and knowing that my precious people are safe. What I also like is when and Iruka-sensei treats me to ramen. What I hate is the three minute waiting time and when Kiba and Ino send themselves on half-assed…" Naruto suddenly paused and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Sakura raised an eyebrow at his actions. "Er…anyways…um…oh yeah! My dream is to one day become a better Hokage than the fourth and then the villagers will have to acknowledge me! My hobbies are practical jokes, pranks and training."

Kakashi felt his visible eyes widen and he smiled behind his mask. _//Hasn't He turned out interesting. //_

"Next." Sasuke looked up.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are plenty of things I hate but I fail to see how that matters since there's almost nothing I like. I don't have a dream since the word itself is pointless but I do have determination. I plan to restore my clan to its former glory and there is someone I have sworn to kill." The last Uchiha said monotonously. Kakashi sweat dropped. //_I expected that. //_

"You're next pinky." Kakashi drawled. The girl looked up from admiring Sasuke and she blushed.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. My Favorite thing is…well actually it's a boy um…" She glanced at Sasuke and blushed harder. "Let's move on. I dislike Ino-bunta and Naruto."

"Why?" The voice was sudden and Sakura looked up as a shadow crossed her path. The jonin waited an answer, her dark brown eyes locked with her green. Sakura swallowed nervously. Kakashi looked at the jonin in surprise, having not expected her appearance. "Why do you like Uchiha-san but hate Naruto-kun and Ino-chan?"

"Anko!" The voice was sharp and everyone turned towards Naruto. He had stood, his eyes a dark shade of navy as opposed to his original bright blue. There was a strange spark of sorts in his eyes and the woman shuddered. "Leave. You are interrupting our meeting."

"Naru-chan." The woman said meekly. Kakashi's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Naruto-kun is right. You are interrupting our meeting as well." Kiba's voice sounded from behind Kakashi. The jonin held back a surprised cry and cell 8 appeared. "Please Leave Anko-san."

The woman looked towards Sakura before disappearing in a flurry of leaves. Sakura looked nervously at Kakashi and her teammates. Naruto sagged visibly and he ran a hand over his eyes.

"Where'd you get to Kakashi-kun before Anko showed up."

"They're were just telling me about themselves." Kakashi said to the woman as he looked back at Kurenai. " I didn't get to the survival exercise yet."

"Survival Exercise?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow. "We spent the entire academy with survival exercises."

"We haven't survived against Kakashi-sensei yet." Naruto murmured as he took his seat again. Kakashi looked surprised at him. Naruto hummed and his teammates looked at him strangely. Naruto tapped his chin and he shook his head again. "Never mind I'll shut up now."

"That's the smartest thing you've said today!" Kiba crowed. It was quiet and then Sasuke snorted behind his hands. Naruto glared at the Inuzuka and Kakashi took the floor before blood could be spilt.

"Naruto-kun is correct. You have done survival exercises but not against me. It will be a different form of practice." The jonin said easily. "Of the twenty seven members of your graduating class, only nine will be accepted as genin."

"There is a 66 percent failure rate. All the cells will under go a test and only nine of you will pass on as genin. The other eighteen will have to go back for more training." Kurenai inputted. Hinata and Sakura paled while various emotions flashed across Sasuke's face. Naruto and Kiba exchanged worried glances while Shino's eyebrows shot above his glasses. "Before you ask about the graduation test, that test was to weed out all the hopeless cases from the potentially good future shinobi."

"How did Naruto leave that section of shinobi?" The question was casual and Naruto just gave Sakura a secretive glance.

"That would be my secret would it not?" Naruto asked with a smile.

"Alright Kakashi-kun, I'm going to take my team and I will see you later." Kurenai nodded to her cell and the four walked off. Kakashi handed out leaflets of paper. Naruto looked at it and moaned softly. /_It's all in Kanji! _/

"We'll meet tomorrow morning at seven and I will evaluate your skills and weaknesses. Don't eat before hand unless you enjoy retching your stomach." Kakashi said. "Here are the details. Read it, memorize it and don't be late."

* * *

"I wonder how they're doing." The pigtailed girl asked nobody in particular as she rolled over onto her stomach, her teal eyes glancing at the two others in the room. They both looked at each other before saying in unison, "Taking their genin test." The girl pouted and she said, "I know that but I mean like are they changing anything yet? We did by just talking to each other."

"We won't know until one of them send us a letter." The middle child said with a shrug. He glanced at a wrapped figure next to him. His lips quirked and he asked casually, "What do you think Karasu?"

"Kankuro that's not funny." His younger brother said shortly. The wrapped figure giggled and the pack unraveled to show a young blonde girl. "Ino, what are you doing all the way in Suna? You have a test tomorrow."

"Aww! I can't visit now? I'll be back before my parents notice. This is a bushin anyways. The real me is out with Shikamaru and Choji for dinner." The clone said cheerily. "Gaara-sama, Temari-chan, Kuro-kun, Naruto says to go on with your daily lives like nothing has changed. You may communicate with each other but no showing off. Oh and Gaara-sama, the others send their regards."

* * *

The sun was barely in the air when the blonde child left his home. He left the door ajar having decided not to lock his door. A soft yip caught him before he reached the stairs. The boy turned and he saw a pair of golden eyes staring at him. The small creature darted forward and nudged at his legs. The dog like creature blinked cutely at him and Naruto chuckled. He picked up the beast and rested him on his shoulder as he continued walking.

"Just today only." He said shortly. "Tomorrow you're going to Ino."

"Who's going to me?" The blonde girl looked at him curiously having heard his comment when the boy entered the streets. The creature squealed and launched at Ino, burying itself into her arms. "What the—?"

"A gift from Red. He said keep that tanuki with you. He wants to watch your progress." Naruto said with a shrug. Ino blinked and looked at the tanuki. She smiled. "Alright. I should get going, Survival test this morning. See ya later Ino-chan!"

Naruto waved as he ran off. Ino smiled and she too walked off to meet her team.

* * *

Sakura looked at her surroundings curiously. Naruto was sleeping at the base of a training pole while Sasuke was glaring at the sleeping boy. She mentally wondered what the test could be. She was aware that even with the title of Dead Last, Naruto was a stronger Shinobi than herself and Sasuke was on top of their graduating class; she wondered where she would be on the team. The girl sighed and she closed her eyes. When she opened them she found herself staring at two orbs of blue. She tilted her head slightly and it didn't click until the orbs of blue blinked. With a startled shriek, Sakura lunged backwards, her right leg flashing out and slamming into a midsection.

Air whooshed out of Naruto's lungs when her leg impacted. He groaned softly, cradling his stomach as Sakura shot to her feet. She was breathing heavily and Sasuke had shot to his feet at her shriek. He looked at her and Naruto, his shoulders tense. Sakura suddenly realized what happened and she blushed a bright red, looking helplessly at Sasuke.

"Hey, Dobe are you okay?" Sasuke asked the groaning blonde. Naruto just held up a hand and flapped it.

"I'm fine." The blonde wheezed. "Just let me catch my breath." He grinned at a worried looking Sakura. "You kick very hard."

"Morning." Sakura shrieked for the second time that morning when a blast of smoke erupted in front of them. Her hands instantly skittered towards her kunai holster and with surprising accuracy she threw handful after handful into the smoke. Finally Naruto and Sasuke hurried over and grabbed at her hands. She started at their touch but she calmed down quickly. When the smoke cleared, Sakura squeaked as their teacher stared at them. "I see I don't need to give the lecture of coming at me with aim to kill. Sakura-chan already has that down."

"Go-Gomen sensei. You startled me." Sakura stammered. Kakashi's eye narrowed.

"You don't apologize for coming at someone with aim to kill Sakura-chan. In the world of the shinobi nobody will apologize. The first and foremost priority is the mission." Kakashi said sternly. Sakura nodded numbly. "If you show compassion for your enemy you are showing weakness."

"What's our task this morning Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto interrupted. Kakashi blinked and held up two bells.

"I set an alarm to go off at noon. Your challenge is to steal these to bells from me before the alarm goes off. Anyone who fails to retrieve a bell doesn't get any lunch. You will be tied to a stump and I get to eat lunch in front of you." Kakashi's eye curved into a U when his students groaned. He cleared his throat and quickly got their attention. "All you need is one bell apiece. But since there are only two, one of you is definitely headed for the stump. Whoever it is will be the first of you three to fail and make their jolly way back to the academy with their heads hung in disgrace." Sakura chewed her lip nervously and Naruto swallowed. "You may use whatever method you would like to get the bells. You _will_ come at me with the aim to kill or you will not stand a chance."

"Now…begin!" Three blurs and Kakashi was in an empty field. "Basic arts is to become invisible." /_All of them are well hidden. Maybe this team won't be so bad after all._ /

It was a few seconds before a dark blur sped through the thickets and at Kakashi. The jonin blinked and dodged the blur only to realize another one was coming straight at his blind side. He sidestepped only to ram into a body. Instinctively he looked down and Naruto smirked. His hand flashed and gently tapped the bells before flinging himself backwards as Kakashi's fist lashed out and vanishing into the thickets. Kakashi was slightly surprised. Suddenly there was a strange sizzle and Kakashi had about two seconds to remove an exploding tag and throwing it away from him. The tag burst with a loud boom.

"Naruto, you claim you want to be better than The Fourth that was pathetic." Kakashi called into the thickets. The man reached into his pack and pulled out an orange book, waiting for the next attempt at getting the bells.

* * *

The young blonde snickered before he rushed off. Behind him, the voice of Kakashi was calling into the thickets where he assumed Naruto was. Naruto shook his head and ran through the trees. In no time he found his pink haired teammate and landed near her. She spun and Naruto instantly clamped a hand around her mouth.

"The meaning of this task is teamwork." He said lowly. "Find Sasuke, and I'll distract sensei. I'm leaving the bells to you two."

Before Sakura could respond, Naruto was off. Sakura sat there for a few moments before hurrying to do as he said. Since they were on the same team and there was a sixty-six percent failure rate there was not way he was lying right? If he was lying then he was putting himself on the list of graduates heading back to the academy in shame right? Shaking the thoughts from her head, Sakura rushed to fine their dark haired teammate.

She found him not too far from their original starting positions and he had nicked her with a kunai before he realized who it was. Sakura winced and Sasuke grimaced. Quickly she filled in the Uchiha heir and they began to formulate a plan. While they planned, neither noticed the figure in the leaves, grinning as he bounced away to begin his part of the deal.

* * *

"Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" hearing the shout, Kakashi turned and found himself face to face with about eight Narutos. The boy grinned and his hands raised, the other seven mimicking his movements. There was a whir and a click and darts flew at Kakashi from every angle. Blinking Kakashi spun and dodged them but not before seeing a strange mark on the very much real darts from the clones. "You're out of your league Sensei."

"And how so?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow. All he saw was a flash of yellow and his jaw dropped metaphorically. Naruto smirked and his hands reached for a kunai. Kakashi shook off his shock and blocked the kunai when Naruto moved to strike him. "First lesson, Taijutsu."

"Konoha Senpuu!" Kakashi blinked in surprise and he hastily leapt backwards. His eyes narrowed and his mind flashed towards his notes of his rag tag team. Naruto had no record of knowing the Konoha Senpuu, the leaf spinning wind. The boy smirked and he settled into a stance that Kakashi was all too familiar with and the stance came with green spandex, fuzzy eyebrows and strange sunsets that came from nowhere. "Next lesson I think should be Ninjutsu Kakashi-sensei."

And all Kakashi saw again was a flash of blonde and before he could turn a pillar of rock came bursting from the ground and slammed into his body. His eye widened and he gagged. While in his "gagging" state, he was unaware of hands plucking the bells off his belt. Sakura and Sasuke signaled to Naruto and he grinned. The three of them hurried towards the timer and dinged it. Kakashi looked up. Sakura smiled brightly and dangled the bells in the air. Kakashi scowled behind his mask then he smirked when he saw Sakura toss a bell towards Sasuke.

"Naruto you don't have a bell." The blonde boy blinked and he scowled lightly. "That means you get to be tied to the stump."

"Aww man." Naruto said softly. He muttered a few choice curses as Kakashi tied him to the middle stump.

"You all did better than I expected. I didn't expect you to figure out the meaning of the test." Kakashi said as he handed out lunches to Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura blinked in surprise and it slowly clicked that Naruto had been right.

"The test's point was teamwork right Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked softly. Kakashi nodded.

"A shinobi acting on their own is signing themselves for trouble, Not only for themselves but for their teammates as well. They might as well kill their teammates themselves. When your on a mission you risk your lives because they are always on the line and there may come a day when one of you is taken hostage and you will be force to make a decision like so…" Kakashi vanished and Sasuke grunted when he was slammed to the ground, a kunai at his neck.

"Sensei?!' Sakura shrieked.

"Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies Sakura." Naruto's eyes brows shot up and a look of horror splashed onto his face. Sakura looked at Kakashi with horror as he allowed Sasuke to his feet. "You might face a decision like that and it's either one friend or the other."

"Sensei?" A grumbling stomach interrupted whatever Sakura might have wanted to say. Leaf green eyes turned towards her black haired teammate who shook his head and she turned towards Naruto. Pink dusted his cheeks and Kakashi laughed.

"Alright. Untie Naruto-kun. The test is over and you passed a little better than I thought. Enjoy your afternoon. You all earned it." With that the jonin vanished in a puff of smoke. Sasuke gave a smug little smirk as he untied Naruto.

"Yes! We passed!" The blonde exclaimed jovially. He spun around in a circle before noticing a familiar face march towards them. He waved merrily and Sasuke turned to see who it was. "Lee-kun! We passed!"

The spandex wearing genin smiled and gave him a thumb up. He nodded towards Sasuke and Sakura before holding up a wicker basket. Naruto's eyes brightened and he practically skipped over. Sasuke raised a slow eyebrow but said nothing. He shook his head and walked off with Sakura hurrying after him, the bentous that Kakashi gave them securely held in her hands. Lee gave a slight smile and he and Naruto headed towards a stone. Names were littered across its polished surface and both genin bowed politely. Lee began setting down platters of food from inside the wicker basket and he produced a bottle of sake, arranging them in front of the stone. Naruto glanced at all the names and ran his fingers over one, feeling the markings under his fingertips.

"Hey tou-san. Didja see? My cell gets to become genin. Aren't you happy?"

* * *

Kiba fidgeted in his seat at the ramen stand. Ayame, the owner's daughter glanced at him curiously but went on taking orders. Hinata looked at him with a slight tilt to her head while Shino raised a confused eyebrow. Akamaru padded around the three genin before jumping into his owner's lap and giving him a quick lick to the cheek. Kiba smiled slightly and patted the canine gently.

"I'm fine Akamaru." He spoke quietly. Kiba noticed the stares of his teammates and his smile widened. "I'm fine you two. Just a little bit antsy. What other cells passed you think?"

"Depends on how hard the tests given were. Kurenai-sensei tested our tracking skills as a team as well as individually so the cells could be tested in many ways." Shino said simply.

"Asuma-sensei tested us on how we did under pressure and if we could find a scroll in a certain amount of time." Ino chirped from a near-by table. She fed a small bit of her ramen to a small dog-raccoon creature. "He didn't tell us if we passed or not though."

"Kurenai-sensei said that we passed." Hinata said softly. "She said that we begin missions tomorrow."

"Already?" Choji asked in surprise. Cell 8 nodded. At that moment Cell 7's Sasuke and Sakura rounded the corner. "Konnichiwa Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan."

"Konnichiwa Minna!" Sakura chirped as she plunked herself into a seat next to Hinata. Sasuke just nodded as he sat next to Shino. "Our cell passed!"

"Really? Congrats!" Sakura nodded cheerfully as she placed an order for a vegetarian ramen. Sasuke order a beef. Kiba noted the absence of their teammate.

"Where's Naruto-kun?" Shikamaru asked, his question slightly muffled from his head being hidden in his arms.

"Rock-san brought food for Naruto-kun and they stayed near that stone place." Sasuke said shortly. Ino blinked and she shared a look with Kiba.

"I see." And the stand fell into a comfortable silence.

* * *

"So that's what happened Tou-san. Kyuu-chan said I should come back and change the way things went." Naruto said to the stone. He gave a small smile. "Don't worry Tou-san. We will protect this beloved village."

A/N: That's the end of chapter three! I am quite pleased with how this chapter turned out but some parts don't flow together as well as I hoped it would but yeah! Leave me a review please and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow. I am now finally back! Sorry for the long leap of absence. I had other Ideas I was experimenting with. Once I get through deciding what I like from those ideas I might post them but until then here's another chapter for FORESIGHT! Again really sorry for the leap of absence.

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Four: Mission To Wave Country

"Fox-lord here, I'm in position." The blonde child could feel a smile tugging at his lips when he heard a snort from two sources. One was from the resident living inside his head and the other was from his silver haired teacher.

When the boy had proposed his code name, his teacher had stared at him a little startled and there was a trace of possible fear in his eyes. Uzumaki Naruto had just smiled and declared brightly, and in the vicinity of villagers, that his code name was going to be fox-lord. The glares he had received made him cringe around the eyes. Then he was mauled by the Hokage's grandson, a slightly disturbingly cheerful Rock Lee and his teacher, Maito Gai, and the duo who had become close friends with the blonde, Yamanaka Ino and Inuzuka Kiba.

"…I'm in position too sensei." Naruto blinked and fled from memory lane when the voice of his teammates echoed over his ear piece. A picture flickered in his mind and the blonde quickly formed a hand seal before he instinctively acted on his sensei's snap of "GO!".

Form blazing through the thickets of the Konoha forest, Naruto's keen eyes and nose picked up the exact area their mission was in. With an involuntary growl that came from deep in his throat, Naruto lunged. His hands clamped around a soft underbelly and a high pitched yowl attacked his ears. Instinctively, he flipped the animal over, one hand pinning the cat to the ground, the other clamped softly around the scruff of the cat's throat.

"Listen and listen good cat," Naruto hissed. He could smell his teammates arriving. "Be good or you're going to get it. Got it?"

The feline bobbed his head and Naruto released it. Naruto gave a small smile and ran a hand gently over the feline's obviously well taken care of pelt. The beast stiffened but once he realized that he meant no harm it purred against his palm. A rustle alerted him of his teammates and Haruno Sakura was amazed at how quickly the cat had warmed up to him. Uchiha Sasuke reported a mission well done.

* * *

"Yeah, That's a good feline aren't you Ryou-chan?" Naruto's murmur caught Hatake Kakashi's attention as Cell 7 walked towards the Hokage Tower. Sakura looked at him curiously.

"Isn't that cat named Tora Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked. Her blonde teammate just smiled.

"I think he looks like a Ryou." A voice rang out. Cell 7 looked surprised as a pale eyed, stiff looking young girl walked up to them. Naruto beamed and the girl inclined her head faintly at him. Kakashi was surprised.

"Hanabi-san." Sakura blinked. This was Hyuuga Hanabi, the younger and apparently more talented sister of Hyuuga Hinata on Cell 8. Hanabi nodded briefly.

"Konnichiwa Hanabi-chan." Said Naruto. Hanabi smiled slightly. She tilted her head and Naruto chuckled. "Training center Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi's eyes brightened and she walked away, a slight hop in her step that she didn't have when she walked to towards them. Naruto shook his head and he started when the cat "Ryou" or "Tora", it was now unsure what the cat's name was now, climbed up and settled into his hair. Sakura giggled and Naruto blinked. He looked up and the cat looked back down. He yawned and Naruto just shrugged, beginning to walk towards the tower again.

* * *

"Konnichiwa Oji-san! Iruka-sensei!" Both men looked up from their papers when the loud voice accompanied a loud bang as the door slammed against the wall. Umino Iruka had immediately opened his mouth to reprimand the blonde genin when the words faded in his mouth. A mewl and Iruka and the Sandaime realized they were staring into the face of a cat. Naruto smiled, waving sheepishly. All of a sudden, the boy flipped upwards, the cat falling from his head and one of his tanned hands flashed out to catch the feline before he went 'splat' onto the ground. The Daimyo's wife, a round woman blinked in surprise. Naruto blinked and he landed softly, handing the cat to the woman. The cat turned big wide amber colored eyes towards Naruto and the boy flapped his hand. The cat mewled and Naruto flapped his hand again, this time shaking his head.

"Thank you for bringing my precious Tora back to me!" The woman squealed. The rest of cell 7, who had arrived just shortly after Naruto's loud entrance, winced and backed up. It took Sakura a moment to realize that the woman was talking to her. She opened her mouth to say that it was her blonde teammate when she caught his gaze. Naruto's lips were settled in a reserved smile and he shook his head, mouthing, "Take the credit Sakura-san."

"It was no problem ma'am." Sakura said almost shyly. The woman beamed, patted Sakura and an annoyed Sasuke on the head and proceeded to walk over and hand over some bills to Iruka. She was talking quietly and Naruto suddenly flinched, hurt flashing through his eyes and rage flickered on the chuunin's face. The woman winked not so inconspicuously and left, smothering her cat into her bosom where it mewled pathetically. Iruka scowled, air hissing between his teeth as he shuffled the pay into four equal piles. The cell moved to receive the money and Naruto was first in line. He smiled faintly to Iruka and just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it Iruka-sensei." And Naruto moved back, his arms crossed loosely, the money going into a hidden pocket. Iruka and Kakashi who had heard the comment in front of him looked surprised. Naruto just smiled gently, his eyes showing that he understood the woman's actions.

"Naru-chan!" The blonde gagged, as arms suddenly appeared around his neck, the female appearing in a sudden burst of smoke. The genin lurched forwards and his wrist twisted backwards, a dart firing off immediately, His right hand flew instantly through hands seals and he vanished in a blur of dark turquoise and blonde, the female landing on a very surprised and unprepared Kakashi. Together, both fell in a tangle of limbs. "Itai!"

"This is interesting." Naruto murmured, head tilted and his eyes half-lidded. In his hand was the dart that was fired off. He smiled, this time a little taunting and he said in a singsong tone, "Anko-chan, watch where you put your hands."

Brown eyes shot up, meeting the single dark one of Kakashi. The jonin slowly looked down and with a furious blush; she shot off and was out of the room before anyone had realized it. Kakashi blinked and he stood, dusting himself off as if he hadn't been about to be groped by a pretty and slightly sadistic dark haired jonin. He looked over his students; Sakura and Sasuke were looking at the ground awkwardly while Naruto just smiled knowingly. The silver haired jonin looked back to see the Hokage chuckling and Iruka shaking his head. Kakashi smiled behind his mask and just rubbed the back of his head.

"Now I have a couple of missions here, you can help baby sit for the council of elders, run errands to the neighboring villages," The Hokage hadn't even got to the third mission when a cough drew his attention.

"Oji-san, could we get a better mission?" Naruto asked. The room went quiet. "We've done a lot of d rank missions lately and could we do something…" Naruto tapped his chin in thought. "Less boring?"

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed her fist landing on the blonde's head. Naruto winced, a hand going to rub his head. Sasuke stayed silent and he mentally agreed with his blonde haired teammate.

"What! I am right! These lousy D-rank missions are boring! I want to do something exciting!" Naruto exclaimed. Of course, his words set Iruka on a long tirade of how they were mere genin and that being fresh from the academy; they wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of a higher rank mission. By the time Iruka looked back at cell 7, Naruto was no longer listening.

"ARE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION!" Iruka boomed. Naruto looked over his shoulder and his face was set with determination.

"I'm not the trouble-making idiot you all think I am." Naruto said softly. "I won't screw up anymore. I promised I wouldn't." The room fell quiet once more. _/I promised my father I won't screw up. Not if the fate of this village is on the line. Never again will I screw up. /_

"Very well." Cell 7 looked at the Hokage. A smile was playing on his lips and he puffed smoke from his pipe. Naruto waited and his hands began to play with his wristbands. "I'll give you a C-rank mission. It's a simple escort mission."

Naruto's face split into a grin, Sakura squealed, Sasuke smirked and Kakashi just sighed. The Hokage let out a puff of smoke again before he continued talking.

"You are to escort Tazuna-san back to his home country of the Wave." The door opened and an old man stood in the doorway. He took a drink from a bottle that smelled strangely of sake and the man leaned against the doorway.

"They look like a bunch of wet behind the ear brats." The man said finally. "Especially the midget, he's got the face of an imbecile."

Naruto twitched. He didn't need to look at his teammate to know they were both smirking. With a low-pitched growl, Naruto looped a couple of fingers into the kunai pouch on his leg and faster than the speed of sound, they flew from his fingers and at the man. The man gave a yelp, Kakashi and Sakura shouting something in the background. Sasuke had already begun to move. There was a blur of dark green and black and a feminine giggle reached everyone's ears. The man sat on the floor, shaking and the kunai twirled on an index finger. Blonde hair swished and Ino grinned. She waved and Naruto smirked.

"Naruto." The blonde yelped when two fists slammed onto his head. The genin dropped to the floor, dazed and his Cell walked off, Kakashi apologizing to the man as they escorted him out. Kakashi threw a look over his shoulders and said, "Tell Naruto to meet us at the gates in an hour."

"…" Iruka nodded and he walked over to where Naruto laid. The chuunin held back a yelp when one summer blue eye opened. He sat up and as if pulled by stings, the door to the room closed. A burst of smoke appeared and one Inuzuka Kiba and one Rock Lee appeared.

"Hokage-sama, Iruka-sensei, we need to talk to you."

* * *

"Whoohoo!" Cell 7 looked annoyed as their blonde teammate showed up. He grinned. "Alright! Road Trip!"

"This isn't a vacation Naruto-baka!" Sakura snapped. It was then that the group realized that Naruto had not showed up alone. A pretty brown haired girl with her hair tied in buns, Higarashi Tenten, waved, the green spandex wearing forms of Rock Lee and Maito Gai beamed enthusiastically, and behind them was one Hyuuga Neji.

"Er…Gai, what are you and your team doing here?" Kakashi asked, a brow raised in question. The other jonin just merely beamed and gave him a "nice guy pose".

"We were asked by the Hokage to assist your team in you escort mission." The only female in the team said with a shrug.

"Why would we need assistance on a simple escort mission?" Sasuke asked snarkily. Before Neji could respond, Lee interrupted.

"Hokage-sama got a tip that this mission might not be just a simple escort mission." The boy said smoothly. The bushy browed genin was on the ground, checking his orange legwarmers. Naruto hovered near by, offering his input with a hum or two. "Good idea Naruto-kun. I'll add four more!"

"…" Kakashi simply turned and walked on, leading his cell, Gai, Gai's cell and their client, a man named Tazuna out the gates of Konoha. Lee and Naruto quietly stared at their back before adjusting their packs and leaving behind them.

"You should add a couple more of the 20 kilo weights Lee." Naruto murmured as the two caught up with their teams and the client. "It'll be heavier than what Gai-san assigns you but it's nothing you can't handle right?"

* * *

It was rather uneventful as the small party traveled along the forest towards Wave country. Sakura and Tenten were getting to know each other, Tazuna was "sandwiched" between Neji and Sasuke, both genin alert to their surroundings, Kakashi had his nose buried in a little bright orange book and was giggling every few seconds and Gai was watching the team from the back. Naruto and Lee were talking merrily to each other and Tenten noticed the odd bulge or two on Naruto's person. The blonde looked at her and he smiled, a finger raised to his lips. The brunette shrugged and turned her attention back to Sakura. The group passed a puddle and no one noticed it.

"Sensei, are there shinobi in wave country?" Sakura asked curiously, the topic having come up in her and Tenten's conversation. Kakashi turned to answer when two forms blurred out from the thickets and with wide eyes, the genin all watched as chains wrapped around the silver haired Jonin and ripped him viciously apart. Sakura screamed in shock and Tenten instantly drew her kunai, moving towards Tazuna. Gai's voice pierced the forest and Cell Gai watched in horror, as the man was ripped apart as well. "Sensei! Gai-san!"

"Two little piggies." The ambushers hissed gleefully. Sun glinted off metal and claws lashed out, a metal chain gleaming between them as the claws shot towards Tazuna. Tenten snarled, her teeth gnashing together as she tried to fend off the claws. Sakura's eyes widened and one of the two shinobi shot towards her.

"Sakura-san!" Tenten shrieked. The other girl was obviously unprepared and the shock of losing both their jonin instructors was too much for her. A blue and white blur blocked the shinobi, kunai drawn, and eyes cold. Sakura trembled and Sasuke kicked the shinobi away. From the corner of her eyes, Tenten saw Neji fly into action.

"Jyuken." And the dark haired male slid into his clan style before rushing the one Tenten was fending off.

"The idiot." A voice hissed nearby and a green blur flew out, cutting Neji off and sending the enemy shinobi into the air with a well-aimed kick. "Konoha Shofu!!"

"Lee!" Naruto shouted. His teeth snapped together and after a series of hand seals, the blonde genin slammed his hands to the ground. The ground rumbled and the ambushers yelped in surprise when the group abruptly sank beneath them. "Doton: Yomi Numa."

"Got you assholes." Lee smirked. To the surprise of his teammates, his hands began flashing through seals and Naruto flashed towards him, a hand on Lee's wrists, and the other pointed directly at the stunned face of Maito Gai, darts glinting from his wristbands. Lee blinked in surprised and his face slipped into a relieved smile. "Gai-sensei!"

"Well done boys, Tenten-san." Kakashi said as he stepped from the foliage. Gai nodded to him and Naruto dropped his hands to his sides. The blonde cringed when he saw the look on Kakashi's face. _"We'll talk later."_ The blonde dropped his head and his instructor turned towards Tazuna who was pale with fear. "You have some explaining to do."

* * *

A/N: Well that's the end of the chapter. Sorry for such a long wait everyone. I er...hit a writer's block and just finally managed to break it down. I'll try to update a new chapter next week during Thanksgiving break or something but I can't make any promises. Sorry. I'll also try to make the next chapter longer. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hi! Sorry haven't updated in a while. I figured since it's the holidays I'd try to update a new chapter for FORESIGHT! Happy Holidays!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Five: A Trap

Fire crackled in the darkness and the sound of soft snoring put the man at ease. He raised a hand, running it through his silver hair. Absently he stabbed the fire with a little more force than he meant to and the sound of a breaking twig made him blink. Across from him sat his blonde student, and mini-Gai. Kakashi cleared his throat and Naruto looked at him, eyes clouded.

"Hai, sensei?" Naruto voice quietly. He absently fiddled with his wristbands. Kakashi noted that he tended to do that more as of late. Lee sat nearby, eyes half closed but he was alert for anything. The fire crackled as a twig broke again.

"How do you know that Doton jutsu you used today?" Kakashi asked. Naruto looked quietly at him then said, "Genma taught me."

"Genma doesn't know that jutsu." Said Gai flatly as he appeared. Naruto fidgeted and Lee looked slowly at him.

"Kakashi-san, Gai-sensei, some things are best not known." Lee spoke. "You live longer for one." A picture of his mangled teammate, Neji, flashed in his mind. He had fallen in the same battle as Hinata, the same way. Lee sighed softly and shook his head. Naruto murmured low and gently rested a hand on his shoulders. "But if you know it might affect you all too much. Much too much."

"…" Gai and Kakashi exchanged a glance and both men sighed. Obviously this topic was very dear to the hearts of the two genin. Naruto looked at their defeated expressions and said carefully,

"I have scouts outside the village. They tell me of things to come. I was tipped off that this mission wasn't a simple escort and they gave me the jutsu." Kakashi opened his mouth and Naruto shook his head. "I can't tell you who my scouts are but what I can tell you is that they mean no harm to our village."

"They're loyal to Naruto-sama." Lee's address to Naruto made the two men blink and Lee continued, "And Naruto-sama means no harm to the village."

* * *

It was really quiet. The silence seemed to choke the life from the group as they crossed the river. All the genin were alert, some more than others. Sasuke and Neji periodically looked behind them, Neji using his kekkei genkai. Naruto twirled a kunai on his fingertips, whistling a cheery tune while Lee was tensed, much like a tiger waiting to spring. Sakura and Tenten both gripped shuriken and kunai at their sides. Tazuna hummed nervously and Kakashi and Gai tried their best to see beyond the fog closing in on them.

"They haven't seen us yet Tazuna." Their ferryman said quietly. "We'll land over by the mangroves just to be safe. We'll be there soon."

"Arigatou." Tazuna whispered. Naruto hummed softly and Lee looked at him, eyes questioning. Naruto raised two fingers and Lee nodded. Their teams looked on in confusion. Kakashi noted the ANBU like code and made a mental note to store it away for information. "We'll hit the shore soon."

The silence reigned again.

* * *

Grass crunched under the sandaled feet of the genin as they marched through the forest. Naruto was whistling even though Kakashi had told them all to be quiet. His kunai was still spinning on his finger and Sasuke and Sakura flanked their charge, both alert for any danger. Lee and Tenten were both in front of their charge with Neji watching their back. Kakashi and Gai were both a few steps ahead of the group. Suddenly, it got a lot quieter and the group realized the Naruto had stopped whistling. The blonde had stiffened and stopped in the middle of walking.

"Naruto-baka?" Sakura asked. Her teammate didn't answer and instead wrenched a handful of shuriken from his pouch and sent them flying into the forest. They struck something and Naruto twitched his fingers. As if they were on strings, the flew back and over half of them were coated with blood.

"We have company." Naruto hissed and the next thing everyone knew, Sakura and Sasuke had both been knocked aside.

Kakashi was there in an instant, his foot striking the attacker brutally across the face. The man flew backwards and he spat a glob of blood to the forest ground. His dark eyes scanned over the faces and he laughed.

"This will be fun! The Green beast of Konoha, and Copy-cat Kakashi." The man's eyes flashed and he lunged forward, a sword dancing madly in the air. "Let's Dance!"

* * *

The moment Kakashi and Gai had fallen for the trap and had been caught in the water prison, the pink haired genin knew it was over. However, the other five genin had refused relent. They charged after the man and in a few quick blows, Sasuke was forced to stand back and protect Tazuna with Sakura as he gingerly cradled his arm. Of the four attacking, Naruto had been the one to charge forward like a wild monkey. Sakura could feel the fear pool in her gut as she saw Tenten being thrown back by the man's 7' sword. So paralyzed by fear, she failed to be able to protect herself.

"You idiot move!" Sasuke shouted, shoving his pink haired teammate down as a shuriken flew by.

Naruto hissed and his eyes flashed when the shuriken caught Sakura's shoulder. The slightly injured blonde snarled and flipped into the air. Almost as if he was anticipating what the genin was going to do, the swordsman grinned sadistically and the hilt of his sword slammed into Naruto's midsection. The blonde gagged and dropped from the air like a deadweight. His companions stared in horror as the man approached.

"So much for the next Hokage of Konoha brat." Momochi Zabuza sneered. Naruto glared at him with pain clouded summer blue eyes. Kakashi and Gai watched in horror from their "water bubbles" as the man approached the blonde genin. Naruto tried to stagger to his feet only to give a pained whine when the man's sandaled foot crashed into his stomach.

"Naruto!" Sakura shrieked.

"R-Run." The blonde stammered. A roll of blood stemmed from his lips when Zabuza kicked him again, sending him half into the water. His blonde hair drooped and Naruto coughed. Zabuza sneered before he turned towards the blonde's companions. "I said RUN DAMN IT!"

"Konoha Senpuu!" Lee bellowed, sending a deadly kick to Zabuza's jaw. The man staggered before bursting into a pool of water. The black haired genin scowled and glared heatedly as the water clone reformed. Lee pulled off his legwarmers and smirked at the dent in the ground they made when they dropped form his hands. "Gomen Hokage-sama. I am not running. I told Yamanaka-Taichou and Inuzuka-Taichou that I'd watch and make sure you don't do something stupid."

"This is an order Lee! I said RUN!" Naruto snarled. Lee instead charged the nukenin and not one step behind him were Tenten and Neji.

Lee blurred and sent the clone another kick, sending him to the air. Gai gapped when the bandages around Lee's wrists unwound, wrapping around him and the swordsman. Tenten and Neji charged towards the actual body of Zabuza. A scroll popped into Tenten's hands and an array of weapons flew into the air. Neji leapt into the air, grabbed a zanbatou from the many weapons and brought it down with a sickening crack against Zabuza's sword. Zabuza kicked him away and the Hyuuga genius landed with a thud to the ground.

"Neji-kun!" Tenten shrieked. She grabbed a fistful of shuriken from the pocket at her side and in a flash had sent them spinning at the swordsman of the mist. Lee turned at her shout and the slew of curses from his lips made the battle freeze for a moment.

"…" Gai looked like death had warmed over at his student's choice of words and Naruto sank sheepishly into the water. Sasuke and Sakura watched almost helplessly as Lee charged the nukenin only to screech to a halt as a roar made everyone's blood run cold. Zabuza spun and his face paled as he stared at the blonde boy. His hair drooped into his eyes and the whisker marks on his cheeks darkened. However, it wasn't the blonde that frightened Zabuza or Naruto's peers. It was the water dragon behind him. The beast roared and lunged for Zabuza, jaws wide.

Kakashi and Gai both spluttered and spat water when they were dropped from their "bubbles" and into the lake as Zabuza was forced to leap backwards to avoid the dragon. Naruto grinned weakly and gently pressed a hand to his ribs before belly flopping into the water and sank. Sending a look at Sakura, an understanding passed through the two of them and Sasuke rushed forward to pull his teammate onto dry land. Naruto blinked blearily and his lips moved weakly.

"Don't speak you dunce." Sasuke snapped softly as he pulled Naruto away from the battle among the jonin. Naruto glared and he raised a hand. Lee was instantly at his side. The blonde held up two fingers and Lee nodded before practically flying away. A girlish shriek pierced the forest and Zabuza's eyes widened when Lee fell from the foliage, a slim body held tight against his. The masked stranger looked at Zabuza.

"You lose Zabuza-san." Lee spoke quietly, his tone deadly as he tightened his grip on the person. Slightly curious but cautious at the same time, Tenten walked over and ripped the ghoulish mask. The face of a young girl glared at everyone. Tenten screeched in surprise and leapt backwards but Lee only tightened his grip. With his feet, he kicked up a forgotten kunai from Tenten's arsenal and held it to the girl's throat.

"Lee!" Gai looked shocked and Zabuza paled. Naruto painfully got to his feet, pressing a hand to his ribs.

"You will surrender or she dies Zabuza-san." Lee's voice betrayed nothing. The kunai dug slightly into her neck and the girl whimpered. Zabuza's hand clenched over his sword. "Think carefully Zabuza-san. Think very carefully."

"Who are you to–" Naruto cut him off.

"You're playing by our terms Momochi Zabuza." The blonde said coldly. "You cannot say that this girl's life means nothing to you. You may be called the demon of the mist but you are by no means heartless."

"You brat–" Zabuza snarled and he raised his sword. And all of a sudden, Naruto was no longer there. Zabuza felt an elbow dig hard into his spine and he was dropped flat as his Kubikiri Houcho flew from his hands, the blade caught clumsily by Tenten who promptly shrieked when the blade sent her to the ground. The large dent it made explained why she fell.

"You _WILL_ surrender Zabuza-san." Lee's voice growled, the kunai drawing blood from the girl. She looked at Zabuza.

* * *

It was a tense silence as the group trudged into the village. Neji limped while Tenten hovered at his side. Sakura had a bruise forming on her face from where she was hit early in the battle and Sasuke glared at the strangely cheery pair of Lee and Naruto, even though the latter moved gingerly, trying not to bump or injure his ribs further. Gai and Kakashi stood with Tazuna between them. Additions to their group were Momochi Zabuza and his "daughter" whom was introduced as Haku, both having surrendered to Naruto and Lee.

Somewhere between the village market and Tazuna's house, Lee's surprised shout of, "You're joking!", threw everyone for a loop. Naruto nodded grimly as Tazuna slowed his heart rate. Their companions glared at the two of them and Lee shot nervous looks at Haku. The Kirigakure-nin just looked at the two of them in confusion. It wasn't until they were at Tazuna's door that Naruto grabbed Haku, spun the two of them to face the group and declared,

"This my friends…is a trap." It took a minute for his words to sink in and when it did, everyone blinked. Then Kakashi burst into laughter when the meaning sank in his brain. Gai as well as everyone else just stared at the blonde child, his slightly mental sensei, and the brown haired ninja in confusion.

_/I guess I don't need to teach that lesson to Naruto. Genma obviously got to that lesson./_ Kakashi thought between laughs.

* * *

A/N: Sheesh. I think this is my most uncreative chapter yet. Mou. It's also rather short. Eep. Anyways! Happy Holidays Everyone! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: A new Chapter! Yahoo! Um…yeah… Oh! And Thanks to All my reviewers! I haven't thanked them much so I'm going to take the time now and say a very belated thank you! I appreciate the support! And Wow! I went from 1300 hits to almost 1600 in less than 24 hours for my last post! Thanks A Lot everyone! Enjoy the story.

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Six: Wave on Wave

The two genin watched the child quietly as he greeted his grandfather when the group walked into the house. The man's daughter smiled gently at them and told them to make themselves at home. It wasn't lost on the genin that Tsunami-san was surprised to see so many people escorting her old father. Naruto smiled gently as she served them tea and he noted her hesitancy when serving Haku and Zabuza.

"They're with us Tsunami-san." Naruto voiced softly. Tsunami just smiled hesitantly. Haku smiled in thanks while Zabuza merely grunted. "Tsunami-san, do you have any splints? Neji-san and Sasuke-baka had trouble in the last fight we were in. Sasuke-baka might have broken his arm and Neji-san definitely killed his ankle."

"I did not!" Both geniuses snapped. It was then that Sakura marched over and lightly kicked Neji's ankle before lightly tapping Sasuke's arm. Both genin screeched in a very unmanly way and lurched backwards. Tsunami and Tazuna laughed lightly before the woman left to gather what Naruto had asked. The child watched them and Lee smiled when he saw him looking. The boy, Inari, merely scowled and left the room.

"Haku-san, um…are you really not a girl?" Tenten's comment made Kakashi and Naruto burst into laughter, the former snorting tea and the latter falling from his chair with a bang. The Kirigakure nuke-nin colored and nodded. Before the arrival at Tazuna's house and after Naruto's exclamation, a blushing and embarrassed Haku had explained what Naruto had meant and it defiantly threw everyone for a loop. Lee grinned and tipped on his chair as he watched the other shinobi squirm.

"Naruto-san, here are the splints you asked for." The blonde smiled and nodded his thanks. He looked at Lee who stood and grabbed Sasuke. The Uchiha yelped at being manhandled.

"What do you think you are doing?" Sakura screeched. Naruto looked at her before reaching out for his teammate's arm. Sasuke growled and opened his mouth to yell when Lee shoved a pillow into his mouth. Naruto grabbed his arm and the resulting crack made everyone cringe and the Uchiha Heir to scream into his pillow. "Sasuke-kun! What did you do Naruto-baka?"

"Set his arm." The blonde replied simply before proceeding to wrap it up. Since Sasuke was still noodle boned from the bone setting, it made the process a lot easier. Then both he and Lee turned towards Neji who squirmed uneasily. Gai was quick to intercept their path.

"I think that Kakashi and I will take care of Neji's ankle." Gai said. Lee and Naruto just shrugged and went back to sipping their tea. Everyone else minus Zabuza looked at the two a little uneasy.

"What?" Lee asked without looking up. Naruto stared idly at a tea leaf in his cup. Sasuke glared at him and Naruto and Lee just snorted.

"You think that hurts? Try setting the bone yourself kid." Zabuza sneered. Haku violently shuddered and clutched his left arm to his chest. "Haku's done it, and obviously so had little golden boy."

"When you grow up like I did…you learn things." Naruto said simply before snatching the tea leaf from his cup and chewing on it. A playful smirk crossed his lips and he said, "Like how to spot a trap."

A cup was chucked at his head.

* * *

"So the big bad demon of the mist was just a fluke wasn't it?" The two samurai looked nervously at the small man. He stirred his tea gently and blew away the steam before looking up at them. "Beaten by kids you say?" 

"Yes sir. A blonde child and a strange child who wore green spandex." The shorter of the two stammered. The small man sneered and he looked casually into a corner where a red haired child sat. The cool turquoise stare made him sweat a little and a thin wooden hand extended from the shadows behind him.

"Well, can the three of you handle a blonde child and a spandex wearing freak?" A kunai darted from the shadows and the man gulped. A blonde teen stared from where she was.

"I won't miss the next time Gatou." The red haired child said coldly. "If our opponents could easily tame the Demon of the mist and his little hunter sidekick, they are more complicated then you think they are."

"We'll take the mission." The girl said. Gatou and his little minions Zouri and Waraji smirked in satisfaction before leaving the room to the trio. The younger of the three reclined lazily on the couch as his elder brother emerged from the shadows.

"Che! Of all people we could be going up against for this mission it's little fox-man and bushy-brows." Turquoise eyes flickered in the direction of his brother and the younger boy sighed.

"Kankuro you knew we'd run into Naruto-kun and Lee-kun if we took this infiltration mission." Their older sister commented as she tossed a kunai up a down. "They sent word that they were heading to the Wave remember? And our target is Gatou's ugly head. Their objective is to make sure the bridge gets built."

"Still, we have to fight them now Temari." Sabaku no Gaara simpered. Sabaku no Temari and Sabaku no Kankuro looked at him. A devilish smirk crossed his lips. "Let's go out with a bang."

* * *

"Supper!" Tsunami called and in no time, a blonde genin sat at the kitchen table. He smiled brightly and Tsunami couldn't help but smile back. 

"Thank you for cooking Tsunami-san!" Naruto beamed. The woman laughed before setting out places. Lee and Sakura helped her as they walked in. Gai and Kakashi waved slightly as they showed up, Zabuza and Haku behind them. Tazuna and Inari were next and then came a limping Neji supported by Tenten and a scowling Sasuke.

"I'm sorry it isn't much." Tsunami said with a sad little smile. Lee and Naruto both shook their heads vigorously.

"It's fine Tsunami-san!" Lee exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it." Said Gai. "Once the bridge is completed the country will be better."

"Gai-sensei," Tenten started as they all sat down to eat. "Do you think we'll have people after us still?"

"Knowing Gatou yes," Tazuna said grimly. Haku shifted.

"Haku-san?" Sakura asked, noticing the shifting boy. He looked up at her and then at Zabuza and managed a small little grim smile. Zabuza sighed.

"Besides us and the Demon Brothers you faced the day before, Gatou also hired two samurai, Zouri and Waraji, and a team of Shinobi from the Sand." Naruto and Lee exchanged slightly ecstatic grins. "Zouri and Waraji are nothing to worry about. It's the Sand Shinobi we have to worry about."

"Are they strong?" Sakura asked. Zabuza looked at her.

"They're the only genin team in all of the Sand to receive a B-rank mission." The man said flatly. Kakashi and Gai choked while Tenten and Sakura paled.

"They won't be of harm to us." Naruto said snarkily, breaking an otherwise tense moment. He held out his bowl. "May I have seconds Tsunami-san?"

* * *

The genin slipped into the darkness, his eyes bright as he took in his surroundings. A quick flick of the wrist and a guard was down, a senbon buried in his neck. With a cheerful smirk, he dashed on, keeping his body low to the ground. He pulled out more senbon and the other guards along the south wall fell, some falling father than others and landed with a loud splash into the sea. He paused when he reached a fork and he mentally brought up the floor plans. Before he moved again, a hand lashed out and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Another clapped around his mouth and the genin was dragged into a room. 

"Quit squirming you dunce." The owner of the hand hissed. The genin turned and his eyes sparkled. With a happy, and quiet cry, he lunged at the other.

"Temari-chan!!" The girl squawked and batted the genin away. Her brothers laughed and the genin beamed further. "Puppet-man! Kazekage-sama!"

"Hello Lee." Gaara said. He motioned to a chair and the Leaf Nin sat instantly. "We have negotiations to discuss don't we?"

"Hai Kazekage-sama." The boy said seriously. "Hokage-sama told me to tell you that when you attack us, it will be at the unfinished bridge."

"Of course." Gaara replied, folding his hands. Temari and Kankuro flanked either side of him. "And I will be the only attacker. Temari and Kankuro will take care of Gatou."

"Hai." Lee nodded. "Hokage-sama also wants me to tell you that when you arrive in Konoha for the chuunin exams to have Temari-chan and Puppet-man meet like they did before, walking over Konohamaru-san."

"Very well." And Lee was released back into the compound. The alarms sounded. Cursing, Lee dashed away and leapt off into the night.

* * *

Sunlight fluttered through the leaves as the two genin teams and their instructors walked through the woods. Under stern orders of Naruto and Lee, Haku and Zabuza were to watch over Tazuna and his family; Zabuza at the bridge and Haku back at the house with Tsunami and Inari. The eight people stopped in a clearing and Kakashi held up a hand. 

"To prepare yourselves against this Sand team, you all will be climbing trees." Kakashi said. The blank looks he was given made him sigh. "I guess it would be better if I just showed you."

He turned and walked up to the nearest tree. Placing his foot on the trunk, he began to walk up the tree. The genin stared and Lee looked in awe.

"He's walking with his feet parallel to the ground." Sakura stammered. Tenten nodded dumbly. "Ho-How?"

"Chakra." And with that single word, Lee deflated. Gai looked at his student sympathetically while Naruto clapped his hands together.

"Let's get started!" The blonde exclaimed before he blurred into motion. Gai and Kakashi tried to stop him when he just ran right up the trunk of the tree. Somewhere about 6 meters up, the trunk cracked and he was repelled. Cursing, Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch and dug it into the trunk, slowing his fall. Kakashi slapped the blonde's head as he passed him.

"As Naruto demonstrated, it isn't as easy as it looks." Gai said simply. "Did Genma teach you that?"

"Anko." Naruto said with a shrug.

"You have to gather chakra to your feet in the right amounts before you can begin to climb the tree. If you gather to little chakra, you won't get very far and if you gather too much, you get what Naruto got. The tree repels you." The genin nodded and Lee just shuffled his feet. "Kakashi and I want you all to practice that until you get to the top. Mark your progress with a kunai as you go up. Lee, you will come with me."

"Hai Gai-sensei." Lee said quietly. Gai patted his shoulders and the two walked off. Tenten and Neji looked at their retreating backs, Tenten with sympathy and Neji with indifference.

"Why does he get one-on-one time with Gai-san?" Sakura asked as the remaining genin prepared to climb. Dark turquoise blurred past her and Naruto was already up to where his chosen tree had repelled him.

"Lee-kun can't use chakra." Tenten murmured before she too began climbing. Neji was not a step behind her.

"Neji-kun, try not to jar you ankle much. It needs proper time to heal and Sasuke-kun, don't try anything stupid." And Kakashi left in a burst of smoke.

Sakura looked up and realized everyone was up some quarter of a tree. Gathering her chakra, she sped up the trunk. In no time she sat on a branch as she watched her fellow genin practice. Across from her, Tenten smiled from where she sat as they watched the boys try.

"You pick this up pretty quick Tenten-san, Sakura-san." Naruto's voice rang and both girls looked down to see the blonde throw off his shirt. They stared and the other two boys stopped as Naruto whistled cheerfully. He pulled off about 8 metal bars from his mesh shirt and dropped them to the ground where they clanged loudly.

"Are those weighted?" asked Neji. Naruto nodded before pulling back on his turtleneck. Making a quick hand seal, all they saw was a blonde blur then Naruto was at the top of his chosen tree.

"That was easy." And Naruto jumped down, where he met Sakura and Tenten who had both left their respective trees. They watched as he approached, picking up his weights as he went along. "You two must not have a lot of chakra to master that exercise so quickly."

"Excuse me?" Tenten snapped. Naruto snorted.

"That exercise is used to help with chakra control. The more chakra you have the longer it takes to master it. Since both of you mastered it so quickly, it's obvious you don't have a lot of chakra." Naruto said bluntly. Sakura growled.

"So does that mean you don't have a lot of chakra either you dunce?" The pink haired girl spat. "You mastered it quite quickly yourself!"

"No, I've been taught this exercise before and have had practice." Naruto said casually. He tossed her a weight and watched as Sakura screeched and drop it. "And the weight of these respond to how much chakra I have. The more I have the heavier they are." He handed two to Tenten who also shrieked and dropped the weight. Naruto formed the release seal and the two Tenten had glowed as did another in his hands and the one at Sakura's feet. "Wear them. They'll raise your chakra capacity."

"…" Sakura looked skeptical as she picked the one at her feet up. It glowed and Sakura felt the weight. It wasn't very heavy. The two Tenten held glowed and like Sakura's they weren't very heavy either. Naruto watched them for a moment before reaching into a pocket and pulled out four bangles.

"If you don't want to wear such "Bulky" weights you can wear the bracelets. They serve the same purpose and Neji-san and Sasuke-baka can take the weights." Naruto handed them to Tenten before the blonde genin walked off to find a taller tree.

* * *

"The bridge builder is mine!" The blast of sand knocked Zabuza aside and he groaned as the red haired boy advanced. His eyes were cold and his hands were outstretched. The sand reared up and Zabuza leapt aside, bringing Tazuna with him. He dug quickly into a pocket, bit the cap off a flare and tossed it into the air. The resulting bang and flash made the boy whine and cover his eyes. 

"Konoha Senpuu!" The two cries came in a blur as the boy was tossed into the air by the force of the kicks. Turquoise eyes flashed and the boy crumbled to sand.

"Zabuza-san!" Kakashi and the genin appeared. Instantly, Sasuke, and Neji were forced by Sakura and Tenten to protect the bridge builder and Zabuza. Naruto cackled and he flew at the red head.

"Heya Red." Naruto smirked. The Sand Genin smirked and a blast of sand shot Naruto off his feet. Naruto coughed and Kakashi moved when Naruto snarled, "He's mine!"

"Come and get me!" The boy snarled. Naruto fired off a series of darts from his wraps and the boy dodged only to give a loud curse when Naruto vanished in a blur of blonde. A fist flew at him, crashing into his nose and the boy stumbled back.

"First point, mine." Naruto grinned before he flashed away again. The boy growled and slammed his hand to the ground, sneering when a wave of sand erupted through the concrete. Naruto yipped and was quickly buried in the sand.

"Second point, mine." He smirked. He closed his hand and shouted, "Sabaku Kyu!"

Sakura screamed when the sand was suddenly drenched red and when she heard Naruto's pained cry. Lee glared and in a flash of green, he was behind the other genin, slamming him to the concrete. Sasuke was not a step behind and even though Kakashi shouted something, the Uchiha forced his arm to move, hands flashing through seals and ending with the tiger.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" And fire erupted only to blocked by a wave of sand. Lee was thrown off and the Sand shinobi sent a brutal roundhouse to the other genin. As luck would have it, Lee slammed into Sasuke and both flew back.

"Lee-san! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted. Before she could move, an eruption of chakra made everyone freeze. The drenched sand where Naruto was blasted everywhere as the blonde emerged staggering from the pile.

"I told you all he was mine!" The boy ground out. His eyes flashed red and the Sand nin's eyes turned golden then both were gone.

"Naruto!"

* * *

"So how are you red?" Gaara looked over at his opponent and he gave a small smirk. 

"Better than you Naruto-kun." The blonde scowled and looked at his blood drenched clothing. He blinked and shrugged.

"You have a point." Naruto grinned. He settled into a stance and Gaara followed. "Let's finish this and see who goes back a loser."

"Jan-Ken-Po!"

* * *

The group on the bridge waited anxiously for the blonde genin to reappear. They heard the sound of scuffling and assumed that they both had gone into an all out wrestling match. Lee hid a grin and he paced. 

"I hope Naruto-kun is okay." Tenten murmured. Kakashi nodded. Then a body was thrown onto the concrete. It was the red haired Suna Nin.

"Bastard has a nasty left hook." Naruto growled as he staggered into view. A bright red mark was on his face where the blonde was hit. He was promptly ambushed by an overly joyful Rock Lee and Maito Gai.

"Geez. We told him to distract you people not slaughter everyone." The voice was dry and a brunette appeared. Everyone went on guard and the boy shook his head. He clapped a hand to the Suna Nin's arm and slung him over his shoulders. "Sorry bout that."

"Who are you!" Kakashi demanded, pulling out a kunai in case.

"His teammate." The boy said, jerking a finger at the unconscious boy on his shoulders. "We're not here to fight you. Our mission was to kill Gatou then head back to the village with some evidence of his death. My teammate was to distract you while we killed Gatou."

"Why should we believe you?" Neji snarled. The boy shrugged and tossed a bag to Neji's feet. Kakashi hesitantly prodded the bag and the head of Gatou rolled out. Neji turned green and the boy kicked the head back into the bag and vanished in a burst of smoke.

* * *

"Kanpai!" Cups clanked together as the group celebrated their victory. Inari drank his juice quietly as he watched Naruto's bruised face smile. Finally he snarled and slammed his cup to the table. 

"Why'd you work so hard to save our village?!" He snapped. "You could've died! You could've lost!"

"Well you never know until you try right?" Naruto retorted. Inari scowled at Naruto. The blonde looked at the boy then said quietly, "I was beaten when I was a kid."

Cups dropped and all eyes turned towards Naruto in shock. The blonde just gave them a slight smile. His blue eyes dropped and he fiddled with his wrist wraps. Lee lowered his eyes and he stared into his juice. He had heard this before.

"I wasn't liked much you know? Everyone I knew hated me." Naruto said quietly then he gave a smile. "But if I let that worry me, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to all of you. I would've given up and been dead a long time ago. So I didn't let it bother me. I went on like it was nothing and trained to be a shinobi. Along the way, I met good friends and people who were willing to accept me for who I was."

Naruto tipped his head and propped it on his hands.

"If you were in that situation what you do? Will you do what I did or would you be the melodramatic brat you are who doesn't even have the guts to face the real world?" Naruto asked coldly. "Grow up Inari."

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura reprimanded when tears flooded Inari's eyes. Naruto simply stared at her and said, "You need to grow up too. If you're going to take the time to comfort a little boy and whine about your hair then you're not cutout to be a shinobi. As a shinobi you put your life on the line on each mission you take no matter the rank is. I surprise nobody has told you that a dress is not proper shinobi garb. You stand out and anyone can drop you like a duck. And if you get caught, no one is going to give a damn what clan you're in. They'll kill you first unless you have some use to them."

"Naruto-sama." Lee said quietly. Naruto looked at him and the other shook his head. Sakura looked at Kakashi and the older man didn't meet her gaze. Gai looked away and Tenten looked at her lap. Zabuza and Haku stared slightly; they didn't realize the young genin could be so blunt. Sasuke glared at Naruto as did Neji at the "clan" comment. Naruto gently placed his cup on the table.

"I apologize. My words were harsher then I had meant them to be." And the blonde left the room, Lee behind him.

No one spoke a word and it was quiet, the only thing breaking that were Inari's sobs.

* * *

When dawn came, no one spoke to Naruto besides Lee. The two had packed the night before and were just waiting on the others to leave. Surprisingly Sakura was the first be done packing and shortly after her were the jonin and Haku. It was awkward as they walked out towards the village entrance. The group stopped when they saw Inari there. Naruto scowled. 

"No need to see us off Inari." Tenten said gently. The boy ignored her and marched up to Naruto.

"I hope you come back soon Naruto-niisan." And the boy walked off. Naruto grinned and ruffled the boy's hair right before he was out of reach. Inari grinned and looked at the shinobi. "All of us at the wave would be honored to have you all visit again when you have the time and hopefully by then the _Great Naruto Bridge_ will be done being built by then."

"…" Naruto blinked and grinned before turning his back and walking out of the village. Inari waved before running home.

"I guess your words hit a nerve Naruto-kun." Kakashi said. Naruto shrugged.

"Maybe."

* * *

A/N: Wow! Another Chapter! Like my last chapter, it's not really creative but I think it's okay. The last little bits seemed really rushed to me though. Meep. This chapter was kind of like a filler chapter. I wanted to go directly back to Konoha but I didn't want to go through flash backs to explain how they got there. Happy Holidays! Leave a Review! I'd love to know what you think and constructive criticism is loved. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Wow! A new Chapter! Yahoo! Um…yeah… Oh! And Thanks to All my reviewers! I haven't thanked them much so I'm going to take the time now and say a very belated thank you! I appreciate the support! And Wow! Just Thanks A Lot everyone! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter and remember everyone I appreciate Reviews and Constructive Criticism. One of my fabulous reviewers asked about pairings in this. Well? What do you all think?

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter Seven: Hospital Visits

The sun was high in the sky when the group marched wearily into the village. The men at the gates nodded and one even grinned as the 10 walked in. His brown eyes were bright as he ruffled one of the child's fluffy yellow spikes. The genin in turn slapped his hand away. Blue eyes looked at him and the blonde child muttered tiredly, "Go 'way you senbon chewing teme."

"Glad to have you back squirt." The man said grinning. "The village has been dead with you gone."

"…" The violent flinch the child gave made the jonin bite his tongue. Quietly, he stepped aside, regret filling every fiber of his being as he allowed the boy with haunted eyes to walk through the gates and into the chattering streets of the village. Shiranui Genma winced at the glare Lee shot at him and knew instinctively he would be facing a lot worse than death later that evening.

"Naru-chan!" The blonde boy blinked blankly as the blonde girl tackled him from the side. His eyes looked at her and she tilted her head in concern. "Naru-chan?"

Shaking his head slightly, the blonde managed a small grin and Yamanaka Ino glanced backwards at the trailing people. The pain-filled, regretful little grimace Genma gave her told her everything. Her lips pulled back and she snarled angrily. Then as quick as her reaction was, it vanished and she turned cyan blue eyes towards the two strangers. Her mind placed their faces immediately; the effeminate boy and the bandaged jonin. Her ponytail swished with her movements as she marched up to them. Naruto crossed his arms and watched as the girl drew herself up to her full height and scanned over the two. Then with a slightly maniacal glint in her eyes and a grin, she extended her hand and said, "Yamanaka Ino, future ANBU Torture and Interrogation Captain. Nice to meet you."

* * *

The boy growled low in his throat and his wild hazel eyes glancing at his partner. He felt the earth beneath his lengthened fingertips and his body slid into the technique. The girl hesitated and that was all he needed. With a feral cry, he lunged forward, spittle flying slightly from his parted lips and he slammed the smaller girl to the ground. She shrieked with surprise and pain and her pale lavender eyes widened when his bare hand curled around her throat. His teeth glinted and his lips pulled back into a frustrated scowl.

"Fight back! Damn it! Fight Back!" His voice rose to a howl and the girl flinched the best she could, wincing when his hand constricted to her windpipe. His eyes darkened with anger and his lips pulled back again. Glaring he hissed, "I want you to fight me back Hinata."

"Kiba enough!" Yuuhei Kurenai called out. The young genin didn't hear her. His hand tightened and the next thing he knew, a glowing palm slammed into his stomach and he was launched backwards. He flipped and skidded on the ground. Inuzuka Kiba growled. The palm didn't belong to Hinata and his eyes landed on his one time subordinate. Hyuuga Hanabi glowered, the veins around her eyes bulging with her kekkei genkai. Her right palm glowed with faint wisps of chakra and Aburame Shino helped Hyuuga Hinata to her feet, his brows furrowed in disapproval.

"You promised me you wouldn't treat my sister that way Kiba-kun." Hanabi whispered fiercely. Kiba's eyes narrowed and the dog owner spat,

"Don't you question me Hanabi! If she would grow a frickin spine then I wouldn't have to—" He gagged when Hanabi's chakra fused palm slammed into his stomach again. He flew back again, blood flying from his lips. Glaring, he looked at the defiant young girl. Using the back of his hand to wipe the blood away, his body was cloaked in a veil of killer intent. "You will stand down Hyuuga Hanabi or I will attack you."

"Friend or not Kiba-kun, I will not let you treat my sister in such a way!" And the seven year old lunged. Kiba shot forward, hand turned claws outstretched as he utilized his clan talents to their fullest extent.

"Hanabi!" Hinata cried when her younger sister was struck by the force of Kiba's lunge.

The genin spun and leapt into the air, bringing his foot down to crack against Hanabi's frail body. She landed onto the ground and didn't move. Kiba stood over her, his expression full of disgust and Hinata watched when he yanked Hanabi to her feet by her hair. Her stomach dropped and Hinata snapped. With a shrill scream, she flew forward. Kiba howled when Hinata's slashed a kunai at his face and he dropped Hanabi to the ground where she laid coughing. Hinata's eyes were cold and her expression blank. Kiba inwardly smirked. Pain erupted through every cell in his system her right palm slammed into his chest. The girl didn't give him a chance to recover and she practically danced around her teammate to send another palm into his back. Kiba managed a grin before he was forced to block a flurry of her strikes, each and every blow with the intent to kill. He took two more blows before he let out an ear-splitting roar. His leg curled around the smaller girl's throat and he forced her to the ground.

"Say uncle." Kiba said calmly. His kneecap dug into her windpipe and Hinata glared at him before choking out, "Uncle." He stepped back, grimacing inwardly when all the blows that both Hinata and Hanabi rained on his took their toll. Hinata shot to her feet before hurrying to her sister who looked at her with the smallest hint of a smile and she gently rubbed her midsection where Kiba's foot had slammed into. Shino and Kurenai ignored him and checked on both the Hyuuga before Kurenai spun towards Kiba.

"What were you doing?" The woman hissed, her red eyes flashing. Kiba shrugged and a hand skittered towards his chest. He pressed down lightly and he held back a pained moan when he felt the tender area. Kurenai growled and she forced Kiba to look at her. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Does it matter?" Kiba snapped back. Hot fire laced his veins and he kept down the groans of pain he instinctively knew were coming. Air stung his lungs as he took a what Kurenai thought was a calming breath. His eyes were cold and he crossed his arms loosely. "I got her to fight back didn't I?"

"That's not the point! You do not attack your own teammates! You could've killed her!" Shino's outburst was harsh and the people on the training grounds looked surprised. Kiba's lips titled down and he glowered. "We're a team! A unit! This was practice. It was unneeded to attack Hanabi-san and Hinata-san with the amount of animalistic fervor that you used."

"If I didn't she wouldn't learn!" Kiba snapped. "She wouldn't learn. Being a shinobi isn't all fun and games Aburame! It's a matter of life and death! If Hinata doesn't gain confidence then she'll hesitate. On a mission you cannot afford to hesitate. It spells death for you and your cell." He began to pace, his chakra flaring wildly around his body as he tried to calm himself down. Akamaru whimpered as the dog emerged, hidden in the foliage. The dog whined softly. "Enough Akamaru." Kiba stopped pacing and he willed his anger down but his chakra flickered still. He glared at Kurenai and he whispered harshly, "You of all people should understand Sensei. If you continue to protect us from the outside then you might as well kill us yourself."

Kurenai gapped and Kiba shoved his hands into his pockets. His shoulders hunched and his body leaned forward slightly as if he was protecting something to himself. The previous anger had left his system and he could feel the pain ringing loudly in his head. Kiba took one final glance at his cell before he pivoted sharply and left the training grounds. Akamaru whined and Kiba walked on. The dog panted pitifully and looked at cell 8 and Hanabi. It yipped softly and the canine dashed off after his master.

Hanabi looked at Kiba's retreating back, sorrow showing in her eyes and memories flashed an aching slideshow through her mind. She sighed gently and looked at her older sister. Hinata was pale and shaking as the adrenaline wore off. She looked at her sister and felt sorry. The way of the shinobi was not for her.

"No matter what wrong Kiba-kun has done just now, he was right Hinata-neechan." Shino's brows rose and Hinata looked at her. "Stop hesitating."

* * *

Kiba had barely made it past the village shinobi academy before the aching became too much. He staggered and collapsed to the ground, his hands shaking to hold his weight as his body began to shut down. His vision was blurred and he was hardly aware of his surroundings. His ribs twanged with pain and his head pounded a symphony to his much too loud heartbeat.

Kiba took in a small gulps of air and his lungs protested the action, sending stinging waves through his body and he coughed. Warm fluid went past his lips and Akamaru whimpered softly when the coppery tang hit his sensitive nose. The small canine gently licked his partner and master's shaking hands. Darkness settled in and Kiba made peace with himself as he closed his eyes to the welcoming emptiness beyond his aching limbs. His body thudded quietly and footsteps rushed at him.

"Kiba? Kiba? Hey wake up!"

* * *

Naruto poked dully at his ramen as he stared into the warm broth and noodles. His blonde spikes sagged into his face and his blue eyes were clouded. Around him, Haku and Zabuza looked at him with worry, the former sipping the hearty noodle broth, the latter gripping a cup of tea. They were in the small apartment that Naruto owned and for the last 10 minutes, the blonde was staring blankly in front of him.

"Naruto-san?" He looked up and Haku felt his words die on his lips. Naruto tilted his head in question and Haku swallowed nervously. "Your ramen is getting cold."

Naruto blinked and poked at his noodles again. Finally he pushed to bowl away and rested his head on the table as he mumbled, "I'm not that hungry."

"You alright kid?" Zabuza asked as Haku stood to find something to put the noodles away in. Naruto nodded.

"I'm fine Zabuza-san." Naruto mumbled. Haku placed the ramen in the poor excuse of a fridge that Naruto owned before he handed a warm cup of tea to him. Naruto accepted it with a small nod and Haku smiled.

The three had parted ways with the others near the Hokage's office, Naruto insisting that he would house Haku and Zabuza until the Sandaime had decided what to do with them. Kakashi and Gai headed in to give their reports and to inform the Hokage that Zabuza and Haku would be joining their ranks as Konoha Shinobi. Ino had smiled brightly before dragging Sakura, Sasuke, Tenten and Lee off to eat with her team while Neji flat out refused, even though Ino had said she would pay. The Hyuuga decided to head home to the Hyuuga compound. Once arriving in the small flat that Naruto had called home, he set about fixing dinner, ramen. As the trio settled down to eat, Naruto had fallen quiet and stayed that way for a long while.

"Haku-san, Zabuza-san," Naruto waited until both looked at him curiously. "What would you say to being accepted into my clan?"

Zabuza's cup dropped and Haku's eyes widened. Naruto smiled faintly.

"Do you even have a clan?" The words were out of Zabuza's mouth before he knew it and Naruto grinned.

"My full name is Namikaze Uzumaki Ryuu Naruto," The blonde watched the two with amusement. "What do you think?"

For a while, Zabuza and Haku resembled fish, mouth opening and closing and their faces awfully blank. Naruto waited for an answer and drank his tea. Still receiving no answer, he walked off towards the bathroom and showered. After he walked out, he stared since Haku and Zabuza were still in the same spot. Naruto retook his seat after getting himself a new cup of tea. As he blew the steam from his face he asked, "Well?"

"…" Zabuza blinked and shook his head to clear it. He stood and bowed. Haku copied his actions. "We'd be honored."

* * *

A full day had came and gone before he managed to peel his eyelids open. He winced when the harsh glare of the sun hit his eyes and he whined softly, an arm moving to block the rays. Kiba groaned. His body felt like lead and he could barely move. His eyes closed tiredly and the smell of antiseptic wafted into his nose. His eyes opened again when the smell of cloves and lavender reached his nose. He turned slightly to face the door, wincing when his ribs protested. Hinata stood nervously at the door, Shino behind her. A wrapped fruit basket was in Hinata's hands.

"May we come in?" Shino asked. Kiba snorted and shifted so he was facing the ceiling.

"Might as well since you're both already here." Grumbled the boy. Timidly Hinata stepped in and the two stood at the edge of Kiba's hospital bed. Hinata placed the basket next to his bed and Kiba's eyes noted the delicate flowers in careful arrangement around the fruit. His took a careful sniff and sure enough, there was a hint of lavender on the daffodils and lilies. "You arranged them Hinata. That's nice."

Hinata blushed and the room fell silent. Shino shifted nervously and Hinata looked everywhere but Kiba. Finally Kiba forced a cough and watched as both his teammates jumped. Kiba waited expectantly and Shino pushed his glasses slightly. No one spoke still.

"Are you both here to watch me squirm in the hospital?" Kiba finally exclaimed.

"They aren't. They're here to apologize and I am here to watch you squirm." The voice was cheery as Naruto and two faces Kiba didn't know walked in. The blonde grinned. "You landed you sorry ass into the hospital. Well done."

"I'm going to pound you Naruto." Kiba declared as he struggled to rise out of the bed. He managed to move himself halfway before he gave up all together. Laying back on the soft mattress, his hazel eyes looked at the two strangers who looked out of place. "New members?"

It was strange how two simple words could make Naruto beam. The expression on the blonde face made him smile and he lifted himself out of the bed, or at least he tried to, somehow managing to forget why he was in the hospital in the first place. Fire ripped through him and he let out a pitiful whimper, sinking to the mattress. Naruto was instantly there and Hinata and Haku had rushed to the door, both screeching, "Hey! We need a medic in here!"

"You don't need to shout. I'm watching the pipsqueak's recovery." The voice was flat and the buxom blonde woman walked into the room. Her eyes landed on one of the screeching pair and her eyebrows rose. "Hyuuga Hinata was screeching down the hallway? That's something you don't see everyday." Naruto's face broke into an ecstatic grin while Kiba groaned. The woman's eyes narrowed and she crossed to Kiba's side. She rested a hand on his forehead then down to his throat then her hand hovered over his heart. "Hyuuga-san, I'm going to need you and Aburame-san to come back later. Kiba-kun needs to rest and it'll be difficult for me to diagnose his injuries with you two here." Both genin were ushered out, leaving Naruto, Haku, Zabuza, Kiba and the medic nin in the room.

"Six broken ribs, bruise to my head, slight concussion," Kiba prattled off, his voice tired and his eyes foggy with pain. "I'm pretty sure I sprained a wrist, and rolled my ankle too. Trust me. I've seen my mother and sister go through these injuries before. I'll be out and about before the week is over."

"You won't." The commanding tone Naruto had used made Kiba frown and he rolled onto one side. "Baa-chan will watch you and when you're fit to leave, she'll call me. And until then, no missions for you."

"…" Kiba grumbled something under his breath and Naruto smacked him. The medic nin looked quietly around the room then she remembered the two strangers.

"Honou Tsunade, Slug sannin." The woman said shortly. "Naruto's unofficial caretaker."

"Erm…Namikaze Momochi Haku." The boy from the Wave squawked slightly when Tsunade bent down to his level. The woman hummed before turning towards Naruto and whispering in a hurried tone. After a few seconds, Naruto looked at Haku and he nodded.

"I'm taking you as my apprentice kid." Haku blinked and it took a little bit before the words sank. He squawked unintelligently and Tsunade laughed. "You know Naruto, your new clan member needs a new dictionary."

Haku blushed. Zabuza smirked as he listened to his charge's babble before he stepped forward and extended a hand.

"Namikaze Momochi Zabuza. Nice to meet you Tsunade-baasan." Tsunade felt her eyebrow twitch at the address and cursed Naruto. Before Tsunade could reprimand Zabuza about the address, a new bed was rolled in, the occupant looking grouchy.

"Oh great. I get to share a room with the mutt." Ino said sarcastically. Naruto's brows furrowed and Ino winced at his expression. "Chakra exhaustion. I should be out by the end of tomorrow."

"You two are hopeless." Naruto grumbled. "I'm not even back in town for two days and you both land yourselves into the hospital. I hope that Lee isn't as…" His words trailed as yet another occupant was rolled into the room. His blue eyes burned red as he stared at the sheepishly waving Lee. His nostrils flared. "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm operating on his chakra pathways." Tsunade provided. "He didn't do something stupid and land into the hospital like these two."

Two outraged cries of "Hey!" echoed through the hospital and Naruto, and his two newly initiated clan members walked on out of the hospital.

* * *

Despite what Ino had said, it took her almost three days to fully recover and even then, Tsunade ordered her to take things easy. The blonde medic nin had surprised many people by willingly arriving at the village with her assistant and pet pig. When questioned, the woman just replied with, "Taking care of unfinished business," and left it at that. She didn't take many patients unless they needed the area of her expertise and when she did take patients, they were all associated with Naruto at some point in life.

Lee was operated on early the next morning after he arrived in the hospital and Tsunade had personally discharged him a week later and had forced him, by pain of castration and certain death, not to follow Gai and his silly training schedule until he Tsunade saw fit. That same week, Kiba was released and discharged from the hospital. An arm was in a sling and his ribs were still tender, thus for the most part was assigned D-rank missions. The Inuzuka clan member was also on some pain medication for his concussion and he was told, also by the pain of castration and certain death, not to over exert himself. He took that seriously.

It was also that same week, the week when Lee and Kiba were discharged by the hospital and were allowed to go on simple missions, did the rookie 9 and cell Gai noticed something off about their instructors. They were a lot more fidgety than usual and the training sessions had boosted; Kakashi going as far as to trap his students before he arrived at the training area.

It was the week of the Chunin Exam recommendations.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I had fun writing/typing it. I noticed that my updates seemed to be getting a lot father apart so I'm sorry. I think my next post might be around Feb. 15 maybe earlier if I get a strike of inspiration. So now that you've read it, review, and tell me what you think! And like at the beginning of the chapter, the first author's note, I mention pairings. What do you all think? 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I finally got around to writing another chapter! I'm so proud of myself! (Ignores Alrira's laughter from the background). Wow. Um…Thanks to all my viewers and reviewers. Seeing the positive response to my story is amazing, well, from my reviewers anyways and since my hit number keeps steadily climbing, I think that's a good thing. I'm sorry for being so frigging late when I said I'd update around the 15th. The creative muses just wouldn't bite the bait I gave them. Sorry.

Chapter Eight: Chunin Exams

"Get back here you twerp!" Naruto blinked when a blur of teal and cream blazed past his team and their training area. Long hair trailed the figure and the buxom blonde woman who appeared suddenly made the entire scene piece together. Kakashi and Sasuke watched with blank expressions while Naruto grinned. Tsunade gave an irritated growl as Haku sped up and out of sight. "Momochi Haku!"

"Give up Baa-chan. Haku-kun just needs a break. You've been teaching him three days without a break." Naruto said simply, looping kunai and shuriken through his fingers and spinning them casually. The blonde woman gave him a flat look.

"Shut up brat." Tsunade snapped, a fond smile tugging at her lips. "He got potential Naruto." Naruto just hummed while Kakashi and Sasuke watched the exchange. The medic looked around and an eyebrow rose. "Where's you other teammate, the Haruno girl?"

"Kakashi-sensei set traps for us to see if we could get past them and Sakura was injured in a blast. She's at the hospital." Sasuke voiced. Tsunade's brows furrowed.

"No one new checked has in the last three hours." Tsunade looked at Naruto who stared blankly back at her. "No one. Last three hours Naruto."

"…" Naruto tilted his head and Tsunade groaned. He blinked and looked at Kakashi who smiled behind his mask. Then he blinked. "Sensei, do you think she ditched?" Before Kakashi had a chance to answer, Naruto's eyes widened and he grinned, his blonde and teal form bounding across rooftops and quickly out of sight.

* * *

"Can you please, please, please?" A tick developed in the girl's right eye when the whine grew higher in pitch. The child looked up at her, hands clasped in a plea. "Please, please play with us Ino-neechan!"

"Why are we bothering with these kids again Ino-chan?" The lazy drawl of her teammate asked as the other stifled a yawn into his palm. Ino twitched and refrained from slapping the child in front of her. Sarutobi Konohamaru looked up smiling pitifully, the gap between his teeth visible as his eyes widened into a hopeless puppy expression.

"Blame Asuma-sensei, he had to leave for something remember?" Choji said dryly. His two teammates twitched and Ino's tick grew as she listened to her instructor's son whine.

"Please? Please? Please, please, please!" The boy whined. Finally Ino sighed and nodded. The boy grinned and whopped in joy, bouncing from foot to foot and Ino smiled faintly at the boy's enthusiasm. "YAY!!"

"….You're babysitting now Ino-chan?" The voice was amused as the other genin appeared. He raised his free arm and the other flinched lightly when Ino poked the arm in the sling. Ino grinned and was about to poke again when a strong hand grabbed hers. Both Ino and Kiba blinked in surprise when Hinata and Shino both blocked Kiba, and his injured arm, from Ino's touch. Kiba laughed slightly nervously. "Ano…"

"Please refrain from injuring my teammate further Yamanaka-san." Shino said softly, his tone rather deadly. Ino blinked and both her own teammates reached for their kunai, the bag of chips in Choji's hands crinkling at the action. Shikamaru's lips tilted down faintly and his chakra grew slightly in warning. Ino shot him a glare and her own chakra responded, instantly causing her teammate to flinch, withdrawing.

"…" Kiba placed a light hand on Shino's shoulder and lightly nudged Hinata's foot. "Guys, quit it."

"What a bunch of antsy people." The drawl was light and feminine as the girl stood nearby watching. Sandy blonde hair was pulled into four pigtails at the back of her head and a large fan was strapped to her back. She was dressed in dark colors, a thigh length dark violet tunic over a mesh shirt, a dark blue sash across her stomach. She wore the standard shinobi sandals and black bangles were on her wrists. The girl smirked lightly. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Ino responded with a raised eyebrow. Her cyan eyes honed in on the headband around the girl's neck and both brows rose. "What's a Sand genin doing all the way here?"

"Surely you know Yamanaka-san." The girl drawled smoothly. Ino and Kiba grinned, the former crossing her arms, the latter walking forward, Akamaru yipping at his heels. The Sand genin blinked and looked pointedly at Kiba's arm. "What'd you do?"

"Took a Jyuken hit to the arm." Kiba shrugged. Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru and Choji watched the interaction with suspicion.

"Dork." Another voice said as the black wearing genin walked out, a strange bandaged item strapped to his back. He grinned. "You know you're supposed to dodge attacks right?"

"Kankuro," The blonde girl frowned and the other winced.

"TEMARI-CHANN!" The loud and happy cry caught the girl off guard when a blob of teal tackled her around the waist. Instantly, the girl snapped her fan free of its confines and with a shout swung it open and smacked the blob away. The gathered people watched, some with amusement, some with surprise and bewilderment as the blob revealed itself to have bright sun kissed blonde hair and currently tearing summer blue eyes. The girl squawked and the black wearing genin cracked up. Kiba sighed and he moved to pull the blonde to his feet. The boy frowned, dusting off his black pants. "Mou, how mean Temari-chan."

"Aha…ano…" The girl stumbled nervously. The blonde just grinned good naturedly and waved it off. The sand genin colored slightly before muttering a small apology.

"We're not in the village for more than twenty minutes and you already start problems Temari." The voice was dry as the red head appeared in a wave of sand. He nodded faintly at Naruto who smirked and raised his hand in greeting. The older blonde girl frowned and the black wearing genin snorted. Ino's eyes brightened and she hopped anxiously from foot to foot earning her some stares. The stranger looked at her and the barest hint of a smile passed his lips. "Konnichiwa Ino-san."

"…" Naruto looked quietly at Ino before his soft voice cracked the air like a whip. "Ino, behave."

* * *

The young girl paced nervously as she stared into the full length mirror of her room. A black gloved hand rose and tugged at her shoulder length strawberry colored locks. She sighed and mourned the loss of her gorgeous hair. Her jade green eyes tugged at the strands again and she managed a faint smile. Although the rude, obnoxious and not to mention painful words her teammate had snarled to her had struck home, she had to admit that he had a point. It would now be easier for her to move around and surprise the enemy. With a bright smile that masked her initial dreary composure, Sakura giggled and leapt from her room to the outside, her dark gray trench coat tail fluttering as she flew over the rooftops towards her team.

* * *

"So who are you?" The rude words made the people blink as they all turned to look at the small goggle wearing boy. His arms were crossed arrogantly across his chest and his dark eyes were locked on the trio of sand genin. It took a second but Naruto finally grinned and ruffled the boy's hair. Konohamaru twitched and brushed the older boy's hand aside.

"Don't worry too much squirt." Naruto said simply. "They're here for the exams. Remember when your Grandfather talked about those?" The boy looked puzzled before his mind clicked and he went, "Oh. That thing." Naruto laughed and he nodded, "Yes. That thing."

"What's going on? I checked the training area but no one was there. Where's Kakashi-sensei?" the confused voice made people spin, some of them instantly going on guard at the sight of the girl. Naruto blinked and he took in the strawberry pink hair and the confused green eyes.

"Sakura-chan?" Ino asked cautiously. The girl looked around and tugged at her short hair. She shifted, her gray trench coat swaying with her movements. The surrounding people took in the girl's appearance.

Her once waist-length hair was now a lot shorter, just barely brushing her shoulders and black gloves covered her pale hands. Two silver bangles rested on her wrists and Ino looked curiously at Naruto. He shrugged. Sakura had changed from her red dress into a dark blue tunic that went to her thighs, and a semi-tight dark gray-blue shirt over the tunic, both articles being loose enough for her to move around and not hinder her movement. She wore heels or some kind that Naruto remembered seeing Tsunade wear and a dark gray trench coat finished the look. She shifted under the scrutiny and a voice drawled out,

"I guess you finally decided to change that ridiculous red dress you wore." Sakura whipped around and glared at Kiba who grinned. He shifted his weight. "At least you won't be dropped like a duck now."

"Haha very funny." Sakura snapped. Naruto looked at her, a smile tugging at his lips and he leaned his weight onto his back leg. "What?"

"You ditched training to get a makeover." Naruto commented. Sakura blushed and tugged at her hair. "I don't think that what you do to your appearance will change Sasuke-baka at all. I think that he's gay."

* * *

"We're all here to discuss nominees for the Chuunin exam." A puff of smoke left the man's lips and he glanced over the gathered jonin instructors. He noted the reserved silence of them all and he let another puff of smoke leave him. He smiled and crossed his hands in front of him, his pipe set aside. "Step forward if you think you team is ready for the exams. The newest genin cells first." Sighing, Kakashi made his way forward, Yuuhei Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma behind him. "Do you think that your genin are ready for this exam? They need to have completed a minimum of eight missions although competitive candidates should have completed at least twice that. You may begin Kakashi-kun."

"Cell 7 led by Hatake Kakashi, consisting of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto, I vow on the honor of my clan, the Hatake, that all three of them are ready to take the chuunin exam." Kakashi drawled as formally as his bored demeanor allowed him. The Sandaime nodded while Umino Iruka stiffened from somewhere in the mass of spectators.

"Cell–" Kurenai though of it for a moment before she sighed. "Cell 8 led by Yuuhei Kurenai, consisting of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba, I vow on the honor of my clan, the Yuuhei, that all three are more than ready to take the chuunin exams."

"More than ready?" Asuma muttered. "Bold words Kurenai." The woman just looked at him and the Sandaime waved at him to go on. "Cell 10 led by Sarutobi Asuma, consisting of Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino, I also vow on the honor of my clan, that they are ready to take the chuunin exams."

"How…interesting that all three of you have unanimously agreed to the chuunin exams." The Sandaime murmured. His eyes flickered to where Iruka was standing. "Iruka, would you like to say something? About the decisions?"

"Sir," Iruka began formally, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Only it exploded back in his face the moment his next words left his mouth. "Are you three absolutely insane! It's to early for genin just out of the academy to be stepping up to that level!"

Many of the people around blinked and reeled back at the anger in Iruka's words. The chuunin growled and clenched his hands into fists. He shook and continued, his voice a little more level, "Only with time they will have the experience to tackle something like the Chuunin exams. Rushing them into the exam right now would only–"

"I understand your concern Iruka," Kakashi spoke, his voice causing the younger to slow to a halt. "But I was only six years younger than Naruto when I took the exam."

"Naruto's not like you!" Iruka exploded, his eyes narrowing and his chakra rising. "You're all going to destroy those children!"

"They should learn the meaning of pain early on Iruka-kun," A voice broke in as the blonde woman waltzed her way through the gathering of shinobi. Tsunade, with a red-faced boy in her grasp nodded to the Hokage. She dropped the boy who smiled sheepishly and apologetically to his surrogate father who was in the assembly of people. "If you continue to protect them then in the end, they will be the ones engraved on the memorial stone."

"!!" Iruka reeled at her words and he flinched violently. Tsunade looked at the younger man and she sighed.

"They are no longer children Iruka-kun. They are shinobi and since they have chosen that path, they have signed their fate to see lives be taken and some of them will be by their own hands." The Sandaime said quietly. Iruka scowled but backed his way into the ranks of shinobi. "Anyone else?"

* * *

"Sasuke-kun is not gay!" Sakura shrilled, anger rising at Naruto's words. Naruto raised his hands in defense.

"Never said he was. I said _I think_ he's gay." Naruto grinned. "Why else wouldn't he date you?" The gathered genin watched in amusement and humor at Naruto's words. "Come on don't tell me you never think of that?"

"I do." Ino's words made Sakura blink. "Oh come on Sakura-chan! Do you honestly think someone such as the _last Uchiha _would be without a girlfriend? I mean look at all his fan clubs! He doesn't even blink when we're around! And we're pretty people! How can you say he's not gay?"

Kiba snickered and Naruto grinned wider. Shino's eyebrows rose and Shikamaru sighed. With that logic, who could argue with her. The three shinobi from the Sand chuckled, well the one in black outright cracked up. Hinata blinked and she realized that she agreed with the blonde from cell 10. Why else wouldn't he have a girlfriend?

* * *

A/N: To all Sasuke fans, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like him, well actually I don't like him but I don't hate him completely either. Don't you all wonder that? I mean he leaves the Leaf and all the pretty people and he goes for the pedophile Orochimaru. Why else would he leave the pretty people behind and go for the slightly deranged sannin if he wasn't gay? I'm sorry for being so darned late!!! 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is Breezy! I am so sorry for being so ridiculously late! I was busy with school finals and such and AP tests and geez. It was a lot of work to do. I finally got around to writing another chapter! I'm so proud of myself! (Ignores Alrira's laughter from the background). Wow. Um…Thanks to all my viewers and reviewers. Seeing the positive response to my story is amazing, well, from my reviewers anyways and since my hit number keeps steadily climbing, I think that's a good thing. Sorry for taking so gosh-darned long everyone! I wonder if people actually read these authors notes…

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter 9: First Tests

Dawn broke over the village, sending waves of golden light streaming into window cracks and under doorways. A form stood on the mountain, eyes watching as the light brought the village glory, casting everything into picture. He smiled faintly and looked down at what he stood on. Grinning and gently patting the rock, he whispered, "Don't worry Tou-san. We'll save this place", and dived right off the rock. A scream rang out below him and blue eyes snapped towards the source, wide lavender eyes stared up at his descending form while her one of teammates flashed through hand seals. The other just grinned and forced his arm from the sling, sending chakra to his feet.

With a deafening explosion, he rocketed off the ground and grabbed the blonde. The two smirked and another explosion went off, a thinner form colliding into the both of them. The three grinned. A quick hand seal and three pops later, the genin were laughing as they ignored the glares from the others gathered. A sad smiled flickered over the lips of the chunin as he watched them. He knew why the blonde dived and he knew why the other two went after him. He sighed and a puff of smoke left his lips.

"Those can kill you, you know." The voice was soft and the dark haired jonin just smirked lightly at his companion. He held out the pack and his friend took one, lighting it with a quick Katon jutsu.

"Then why are you also taking one Kotetsu?" He responded softly. The other shrugged and took a long drag before expelling the smoke.

"Misery loves company Izumo." And the two vanished with in a flurry of leaves, leaving behind the scent of cigarette smoke.

* * *

"Ohayo Minna-san!" One Uzumaki Naruto cried cheerfully as he arrived at the designated place, Kiba and Ino following him with their teammates. Sakura grinned and waved before noting the disgruntled look on Shikamaru's face and the way that Shino's eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at Kiba's back.

"What's wrong? You look like death warmed over." Tenten remarked lightly. Shikamaru's scowl worsened and Shino made a sound of annoyance. Kiba winced and he cast a hesitant look back at Shino.

"C'mon. I already said I was sorry!" He protested, taking in Shino's annoyed body language and the way Hinata fixed a sudden glare at him. The Inuzuka whined softly and sulked miserably, head hung as he marched off behind Naruto. Ino cast him a sympathetic look and she flinched back when dark brown eyes narrowed at her.

"Gomen Shika-kun." Ino said softly and her teammates sighed before the pony-tailed genius lightly tapped her forehead.

"Just don't do that again. I don't know how I'm going to tell you parents that you died by diving of the Hokage Monument." Shikamaru said flatly.

"…" Sakura looked at Tenten and the two decided not to pursue the matter.

"Come on. We're going to be late. Kakashi-san and the other jonin are waiting for us. They said they had something to tell us." Tenten said and the four teams headed off.

* * *

"Good you're all here." Were the first words that Kakashi said when the 12 genin appeared. He nodded and Asuma began to hand out leaflets of paper. "Normally we tell our own teams but we decided that it would be quicker to just tell you all together as opposed to running all over town to gather you all."

"Yes!" Naruto turned and blinked at the exclamation and Lee grinned, waving the paper. "You recommended us all for the chunin exams!"

"We ran into a few genin from out of the country and they told us of the exams." Shikamaru informed, watching the jonins exchange surprised looks.

"Anko-chan told me ages ago about the upcoming chunin exams." Naruto inputted.

"Well that took less time than expected. Well, fill them out and report to room 301 at the school by 4:00 in the afternoon tomorrow if you want to participate." Kurenai said shortly. "You're all off for the day so take the time to prepare."

* * *

"Do you think it'll go well?" The voice as soft as the younger man looked at the village in the distance. His companion shrugged and hefted his sword over his shoulders.

"We ain't gonna find anything out if we stand here all day." With that, the two walked off towards the village. Behind them, two cloaks of black cloth with red clouds stitched into the black fabric laid out like a beacon on the desert sand.

* * *

"What do you think will happen?" Brown eyes looked at her and the girl pulled her knees to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her knees and her blue eyes stared out at the building they were to enter. A heavy fog settled around the area and it was only the group as they waited. She sighed and tugged on her blonde hair before looking up at her friends. "How can we stop _Him_ and still pass this exam at the same time?"

"It'll be fine Ino-chan," the brunette said gently as he pulled out a scroll from his pockets. With a quick release seal, he looped the sword on his belt and slid a dagger into the sole of his shoe where the blonde girl noted a few senbon needles were hidden. With a once over to check everything the boy grinned and leaned back on the rail as he waited for his team to approach. He closed his eyes and gave off the impression that he relaxed. "We'll get it done."

"…Hai Taichou." Ino said quietly. She fiddled with the bangles on her wrists and shoved her hands into her coat pockets, the sun glinting off her hiate as she turned at the sound of footsteps. The other just nodded and took his place by Kiba who cast him a half lidded look before closing his eyes again. It was quiet for a moment before Kiba muttered, "My arm is fine Shino-kun. Tsunade-baa-chan checked it this morning and she said it was okay for me to participate."

"We'll see you later Ki-chan." Ino said with a faint smile. She leapt to her feet, brushed lint from her jacket and nodded to both Shikamaru and Chouji as they approached before the trio walked into the building.

A rustle of branches drew Kiba's attention and immediately his hand fled to his waist, resting casually yet at the same time threateningly on the hilt of the sword. A trio emerged from the shadowed trees and Kiba squinted to see their features clearly. A long haired girl, a half mummified boy and a black haired boy sneered at him before disappearing into the building. Kiba's eyes narrowed and his hand clenched the sword hilt. Their movements were familiar.

"Kiba-kun?" Brown eyes jerked up and the girl smiled sheepishly. Kiba relaxed and nodded to Hinata. "Are you alright Kiba-kun?"

"Hai. Hai Hinata-chan." Kiba said. He grinned and slung an arm over a startled Shino and the Inuzuka heir dragged his teammate into the building with a laughing Hinata behind the two.

* * *

The fog had begun to lift as the two stared each other down. Their female companion grinned nervously as she looked between the blond and the brooding one. They glowered and finally the blonde blinked.

"HA! Sasuke-kun wins!" Sakura cheered. Naruto scowled and Sasuke just wondered how he ended up in a staring contest with his blonde teammate.

"C'mon. Let's hurry up." Naruto said with a scowl and he trudged ahead into the building. Sakura grinned and bounded after him, her cloak trailing behind her and Sasuke sighed before walking behind his teammates.

Sakura caught up with an annoyed Naruto in the hall and Sasuke joined them and they marched their way up to room 301. Naruto blew a raspberry at Sasuke as the three walked up the stairs. A crowd of people gathered in front of the door and Naruto rolled his eyes before turning to round the corner. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him before looking at the door. 301. Raising an eyebrow, Sakura tried to hurry after Naruto and squealed quietly when she ran straight into something. Surprised, she placed her hands to the air in front of her and pressed down. She hit a wall off some sort.

"Naruto wait up," Sakura called and Naruto looked back in confusion. He tilted his head and blinked when Sakura banged on the air in front of her. He returned to her and blinked.

"Sakura-chan, why are you miming?" Naruto asked innocently. He was rewarded a smack when Sakura reached out for him. With a yelp of surprise, he sent chakra to his feet and practically dove behind an amused Sasuke to avoid being hit again. "Nyaa! What'd I do?"

Sasuke snorted back a laugh and asked, "Naruto…did you just, "Nyaa"? "

Naruto stuck his tongue out and hissed, "Nyaa!"

"Are you losers done?" All three turned glares at the genin and Naruto hissed, baring teeth. The genin snorted. "If you can't–"

"Let's go." Naruto muttered and he tried to round the corner, jogging lightly past the speaking genin. The other growled and his hand reached out to snag the boy's wrist. In seconds and in a series of moves to fast to follow, Naruto stood over the other genin, his foot digging into the older boy's throat. Naruto was calm, blue eyes hiding nothing and everything at the same time. "Do you yield?"

"Ye-Yes." The genin spat difficultly. Naruto removed his foot and the genin scrambled to his feet. The boy's partner glowered, a hand inching towards his giant kunai on his back when a calm voice purred, "You don't want to do that."

Another Naruto stood behind the boy, the edge of a kunai raising to the other boy's throat. He gulped audibly and Naruto chuckled. Sakura stared and Sasuke shivered at the dark laughter. Naruto smirked at the stunned spectators and lowered his mouth to the other's ear, snarling, "Do _you _yield?"

"…" The other said nothing and his hand dropped to his sides, head bowed. Satisfied Naruto exploded in a cloud of smoke and the real Naruto stared down the two defeated genin.

"You will let my team through." With a defeated sigh, one of the two raised his hand and dispelled the Genjutsu for Cell 7. Naruto grinned and dragged Sasuke and Sakura down the hall and around the corner, storming up the flight of stairs.

The genin disguised Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo both grimaced and turned towards the remaining stupefied genin. Kotetsu raised a hand to rub at his bruised throat and Izumo cast him a sympathetic glance. It wasn't even noon and both chunin were wishing for it to end already. A total of 19 teams had gotten through already. Most of them just dispelled the jutsu but a couple of the passed Cells actually attacked the chunin in a vicious display of power.

Cell Gai had ripped right through with a well executed "Konoha Senpuu" and a "Rising Dragon" from Lee and Tenten respectively while Neji dispelled the Genjutsu long enough for the three to get through. After them were Cells 8 and 10. Kotetsu winced and absently rubbed at his leg, nodding to Izumo when his friend looked at him in worry. It was their bad luck when both Cells 8 and 10 had arrived at the same time. Both cells had good teamwork and they had not problems ganging up six against two. Needless to say, Kotetsu was introduced to Kiba's swordsmanship and a well timed "Nikudan Sensha" from Akimichi Chouji while Ino and Shino practically danced circles around Izumo; the chunin learning that the Aburame clan member hid more than just his bugs in his sleeves. Hinata and Shikamaru had dispelled the illusion and Cells 8 and 10 walked merrily through leaving behind two tired chunin to deal with the other genin. Then came the sole Cell from the Sound. Kotetsu barely had time to blink when a "Zankuha" sent him flying down the hall and Izumo was pelted with icicles. The third member stared at the Genjutsu before chuckling and raising his hand, shattering it with strong sound waves. The three were off before Kotetsu and Izumo had time to recover. The last of the teams who had attacked with brute power was a team from the Sand. A cry of "Kamaitachi" had caught both of them off guard and again, they were both reacquainted with the wall at the far end. Now with Cell 7's brutal display, Kotetsu and Izumo sighed and faced the remaining genin. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"That wasn't so bad." Naruto said simply as the three walked to the designated door. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him and asked as one, "Naruto, how did you know that was a genjutsu?"

"Because we only passed one flight of stairs. The room is on floor three so it couldn't have been floor two." Naruto said easily, inwardly laughing at their blank faces as everything sank in. Grinning cheerily, Naruto waved at Kakashi who stood outside the door.

"Good. You all made it." Their instructor said with a nod. "Though you took a bit longer than expected. Run into trouble?"

"Naruto got into a fight with some of the genin." Sakura said as she shot a dirty look at the blonde. Kakashi nodded and glanced at Naruto who was fixing his shin guards.

"You saw through it then." Said Kakashi. Naruto nodded.

"Wasn't hard to." The blond shrugged. "It was a lot like the ones Iruka-sensei used to cast on us." Kakashi nodded. He had long since questioned his blonde student and decided to sit back and watch him grow.

"Alright. I won't hold you guys up anymore. Go on in." Kakashi waved his cell away and stood back to watch them enter the room.

* * *

The first thought that Sakura had when they stepped into the room was, "Wow. We have to fight all of them?", then "They look really strong."

"Hey! Where've you been buddy?" A burst of smoke landed on Naruto and the blonde gagged when an arm wound around his throat. With a soft hiss, the blonde rammed his elbow backwards and the other genin was thrown off, boots skidding across the floor as Ino landed next to her teammates. She smirked warmly and Naruto merely nodded. She looked like she was going to say something when a spike of chakra made everyone freeze as the red-head walked forth.

"…" Kiba winced when he passed and he stepped back to avoid the boy's gourd. Hinata and Shino looked at him and Kiba flapped his hands, waving his reaction aside.

"Sabaku no Gaara." Naruto greeted curtly.

"Uzumaki Naruto." The other responded. They clasped forearms and the next thing that everyone noticed was the red-head flying through the room. His gourd exploded and covered him head to toe before he rematerialized next to his two teammates. He gave a nod to Naruto who smirked.

"Are you brats done?" A voice snapped and Kiba's hand flew to his sword. The older boy scowled at them as he walked forth. His eyes narrowed. "A bunch of wet-behind the ears academy graduates. Are you trying to get yourselves killed?"

"And if we are?" Naruto retorted, his voice hummed with a hidden strength and the other frowned while his friends looked at him in alarm. The blonde smirked and his eyes gleamed with a dark sense of humor as he continued, "Not everyone makes it out of these exams alive anyways but I'm sure a seasoned _veteran_ like you already know that."

"!!" The older teen hissed and Naruto smirked.

"Is this your second time applying?" Sakura asked. The other shook his head and pushed aside his temper before answering the girl.

"This is my _seventh_ time. I'm Yakushi Kabuto by the way." The silver haired youth said. "And blondie, a declaration like that will get you killed. Look behind you. They're from Amegakure and they have very short fuses."

"So?" Kiba barked. "Is that all? You can leave." He waved his hand as if he was dismissing the older teen. Shino silenced him with a wave of his arm as Hinata commented softly, "Seventh time? I guess you have a lot of experience in this right?"

"I guess." Kabuto seemed sheepish. "I have shinobi skill cards to help me so." He shrugged, pulling out a deck from his back pocket. Ino tilted her head and looked at them in interest. "They have all the information I gathered in the last almost 4 years."

"Do you have individual cards?" Ino asked almost immediately. Kabuto grinned.

"Anyone you want to look for?" He asked.

"Not really. I was just wondering if you had my card." The girl said flippantly. The genin smirked and rested his hand on his deck. His hand moved and Ino was already in motion. She flipped through the air and grabbed the card from him. She landed near Naruto and she looked it over. "Good. It's nothing bad."

Kabuto smirked and it faded when the card burst into flames in her hand. She smirked and waved mockingly as she dropped the ashes to the ground.

"Any information in the hands of others means death for yourself." Ino prattled off. "If this is your seventh time competing you should know that."

"I do." Kabuto said coldly. "This test is ruthless and most people never pass. Some die along the way. You probably won't pass the first exam."

"…" The rookie nine looked at each other and Hinata stepped towards her teammates while Naruto frowned.

"Oh I'll pass." Naruto said gently, his eyes betraying his emotions. "I'll pass and none of you will beat me."

"Big words little boy." And three blurs sped from the gathered genin. Kabuto moved and Naruto blinked when the older boy shoved him aside and blocked the kunai from the sound nin. Another flew at him and he twisted out of the way, dodging a punch from the half mummified one. They grinned and the next thing everyone knew, Kabuto was retching on the ground.

"What happened? I swear he dodged that." Sasuke muttered. Naruto scoffed and he glowered at he three sound nin.

"Shut up you brats." Smoke exploded and the genin tensed. The proctors had arrived. The front man glanced casually over the genin and most of them shivered. "Sorry to have kept you all waiting. I'm Morino Ibiki and I'm your proctor."

"T and I." Ino sang softly causing Kiba to snort with laughter.

"You from the Sound! Do you want to be disqualified?" Ibiki boomed. Slinking, they sneered at him before Ibiki turned his attention to everyone else and they retreated to their original spots. "From this point on fighting will earn you and your team a one way ticket to disqualification. You will each be assigned a number and go to the seat assigned. When everyone is seated, the written part of the exam will be handed out."

"…Shimata." Naruto swore to himself as he went to get a number. He blinked and smirked at the Chunin, his bad day postponed for a few minutes. "How's your throat Proctor-san?"

"Sore." The man rasped with a glower. Laughing, Naruto took his number and found his way to his seat. As he took his seat he noted with amusement that Ino and Shino both made the Proctor they were in front of flinch and he held his arm almost protectively. As Ino passed she smirked and winked at her fellow blonde. Naruto nodded to Hinata as she sat down shyly next to him.

"Let me explain a few rules before you start." Ibiki said as the tests were being passed out. "All of you will start off with 10 points each. So If you get a perfect score on the test you get full points. If you miss a question you lose a point. This is a written test as passing or failing depends on your entire team score. The object of this is to have as few deductions as possible when from your team total of thirty points."

"This next bit is extremely crucial so pay attention. If any of you are caught cheating, two points will be deducted from your total score. If you lose all your points you will be asked to leave." Ibiki smirked at their faces.

"So, I'll be looking over your shoulders when you least expect it." One of the chunin proctors purred. There was a simultaneously audible gulp from the genin and someone coughed.

"One last thing. If any one team member loses all 10 points, your entire team is disqualified." Naruto sank into his seat as he tried to ignore the glares on him. "You have one hour starting now."

And the test began. For a minute or so, Naruto looked blankly at his paper. He stared at it for so long that some of the proctors began to rise from their seats, almost worried that something was wrong with the boy. Hagane Kotetsu rose half from his seat and he realized that Naruto wasn't breathing. He almost stood when Naruto suddenly broke into a huge grin and grabbed his pencil. Kotetsu blinked blankly for a moment and took his seat, watching the genin.

"I want to know something," A genin commented as he stood from his seat. His voice trembled when Ibiki looked at him. "How many Cells are you planning on passing?"

"Knowing that won't help you, will it?" Ibiki in turn retorted. The genin sank into his seat while Sakura gnawed her lower lip and she began to write.

Sasuke smirked faintly as he stared at his test. He couldn't answer a single question. From across the room he saw Sakura scribbling furiously and Naruto tapping his pencil. Sasuke quietly ran the rules over in his head and it clicked. With a smirk he knew what he was going to do. Looking over the gathered genin he picked one and his eyes shifted red.

Naruto lightly tapped his pencil end on the wooden desk as he tried to think of how he was going to go about the test. Humming lightly he raised a hand from his pocket and caught a proctor's attention. Ibiki glanced at him and Naruto didn't bat an eyelash.

"I need to use the bathroom." Naruto said simply. Ibiki motioned to a proctor and Naruto shrugged. Metal cuffs clicked on his hands and the boy was led out. Kiba blinked and looked up at Akamaru. His dog whined softly and Kiba shook his head before turning back to his test. Tapping the eraser he began to write, the questions not bugging him. Dimly he heard a thump and shook his head. Ino had gone to work it looked like. Naruto came back and he fiddled with the belt of his pants. Kiba smirked and he murmured softly, "Looks like Naruto's finally decided."

A genin he sat next to looked at him funny and Kiba calmly caught the kunai headed for the other genin. Palming it he felt the metal before sending it right back. The loud thunk caused heads to jerk up and people stared at the knife embedded into the chalkboard. Kiba smirked and waved mockingly. Ino stretched as she returned to her body and Lee just shook his head. For reasons that people couldn't fathom, Naruto started to form seals in view of the Proctors. But before the people could recognize the technique Naruto stopped in the middle of the seals and his head dropped to his chest. Hinata looked at him worriedly but she returned to her.

_"Oi Foxy. You up?"_ Naruto asked his mind. A soft chuckle answered him and Naruto smiled.

_"I was wondering when you'd ask me."_ And as if struck by inspiration Naruto began writing.

As time ticked away, the genin became increasingly desperate to pass. Thus the Rookie nine witnessed a lot of mistakes and people getting caught as they tried to get the answers to the test. When the last quarter of the hour rolled around, only 30 of the original 52 teams remained. Naruto leaned on his chair and propped his feet onto the table and waited for the last question. When Ibiki glowered at him, the genin around the blonde shuddered while the blonde just grinned cheekily and happily flipped him the bird. Ibiki blinked and found his lips tugging at the corners.

A few dozen people behind him, Kiba snored softly. Shino, a few rows back glared at the back of his head. Almost as if sensing the glare, Kiba yawned softly and looked up, blinking blearily just as Ibiki began to speak.

"Forty-Five minutes are up."

* * *

A/N: This is chapter 9! I'm really sorry for being so late! To make up for it this chapter is a little bit longer and I'll try to update again later again this week. Anyways, the test begins now and the genin are waiting on the final question! Who will pass? What is the question? I'll try to update sooner next time! Sorry for the wait everyone! Read and Review everyone! …please?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey! I put off the chapter a bit again. I'm very, very sorry everyone. …I should stop saying that. By now everyone probably knows that I take forever to update but I'm sorry anyways. I'm done since no one pays attention to these things. Thanks to all my reviewers! It makes me very happy to see such positive responses to this piece of work!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter 10: Enter the Forest

"Forty-Five minutes are up. Here's the final question." Kiba blinked blearily at Ibiki and with a mental decision that it wasn't worth it, he propped his head into his arms and returned to snoozing. Ibiki twitched at the Inuzuka's nonchalance at the one question that would decided his life, next to "Will you marry me" and "Do you take so and so as your lawfully wedded wife" of course. He was saved from shouting at him when a kunai whizzed through the air and slammed into his sleeping form, blunt edge of course. Kiba blinked awake, turning his head in a half circle and his eyes glowered at the other genin before he turned his attention to Ibiki. The man cleared his throat and his charka spiked slowly. The students froze, eyes wide. "But first, I need to tell you something. If you don't answer this question, you're points are reduced to zero, meaning you fail and your teammates fail with you. If you choose to answer and should you answer this question wrong, you will never be able to take the chunin exams ever again."

"Who died and put you in charge? It's a dumb rule!" Kiba murmured softly and slightly sleepily, voice carrying as though he had been shouting. "There are countless genin in this room that have taken the exam twice or more."

Ibiki merely grinned with his scarred visage and he chuckled, responding with, "Too bad that you have me this year and I am the rule. This is why you have the option of quitting." His grin turned feral and the genin shivered, well most of them. Few, like the Yamanaka girl and the red head from Suna, just stared at him impassively. "Those who are not confident can choose not to take it, and take the exam next year, or the year after that."

"…" It went quiet and there was a nervous cough from somewhere.

"Let's begin." Ibiki almost purred. "If you're not going to answer this question, raise your hand and after we check the lists and numbers, you can go."

"…I-I quit." A genin stood, eyes clenched shut. "I-I'm sorry guys."

"Number 50 fail! 130, 111 you fail with him!" A chunin proctor shouted, looking fleetingly at his clipboard. Naruto gently closed his eyes, sighing softly as the genin marched from the room.

He remembered Mizu Hiro, Number 50, and his teammates Suzuki Inaho, 130, and Wakashi Gennai,111. They hadn't passed this year's genin exam or the year after that's exam either in fact they hadn't passed any until Kiba, newly instated as ANBU captain 5 years later, took them under his wing, training them personally. They made it to higher ranks 9 months later. Inaho had hit Special Jonin while Gennai and Hiro both went for hunter Nin. They were killed when the Sound had invaded the village with Sasuke leading the charge. The blonde smiled faintly. They had taken over 200 Sound Nin with them and Inaho had stabbed Orochimaru's then host before Manda swallowed him whole. In revenge, Kiba had hacked Kabuto to pieces and Akamaru ripped his heart out viciously before he could heal himself. Orochimaru left the dying body pretty quickly. Looking over at his friend, Naruto noticed the tightening of Kiba's jaw.

One by one, cells began to drop out and with each team, Sakura noticed that Naruto seemed to deflate in his seat. Hinata looked at him in concern but he didn't notice. It wasn't until Ibiki had failed Numbers 64, 67 and 78 that Naruto had enough. With a low hiss, he vaulted onto the desk, blue eyes narrowed in the direction of Ibiki and shouted, "You are full of SHIT!!"

"Sit down." Ibiki said bored. Naruto glared and his teammates grew alarmed. Ibiki's chakra rose. "Sit down!"

"…" Naruto didn't speak nor did he sit and an awkward tension began to fill the room. Finally he spoke, "If another country's genin were unable to take the exam because they fail to answer your question, it becomes Politics with a capital P, brining trouble for the old man and the country. I highly doubt that you were given permission to conduct such an outrage."

"And you're going to challenge my authority?" Ibiki asked coolly. Naruto just crossed his arms, dropping gracefully into his seat. He kicked his legs up again and smirked.

"Not now," Naruto purred. "But when I become Hokage, I'll challenge it then. By firing your sorry ass and assigning a friend to your position. Cheerful thought isn't it?"

"Hardly insulting coming from a blonde idiot." Ibiki simpered. "So you'll bet your future on that then and you'll answer this question?"

"Yup. Even if I fail, I'll still become your boss and fire you." Naruto said casually.

"We'll see then. Now, how many of you are willing to follow this blonde idiot and see to it that he becomes Hokage to fire my sorry ass?" Another team quit and Ibiki smirked but all Naruto did was shrug. It was one of the older genin groups and Naruto knew they were hostile to him. No team followed them. Ibiki's eyes scanned the room and he thought, _"Of 52 original teams, 24 are left. Apparently they'll all follow said blonde idiot."_ With a well practiced scowl, he looked everyone over. "Are you all going to risk your careers by following him?"

"No point in going back now." Ino called out. She grinned cheerily and Kiba kicked his feet up to copy Naruto. "He said he'd become Hokage and fire you. When that happens, we can fight for the open position."

"I see." Ibiki leveled the genin with his glare again and no one moved. He smirked. "Very Well. Congratulations. Everyone still here, you all pass."

It went quiet.

"Wha-what about the tenth question?" Sakura asked when the information sank into her brain.

"There is no tenth question. Not one beyond the accept or reject thing." Ibiki chuckled at their flabbergasted faces. A lot of the genin opened and closed their mouths, trying to piece together a coherent sentence.

"Then what of the other nine questions?" Hinata asked quietly. Ibiki looked at her.

"The other nine questions were to test your skills at spying." The jonin said simply. "It was clear from the beginning that these questions are more than genin could handle and therefore you needed to cheat to get your information. Those who were clumsy were spotted immediately and failed. Not that we didn't notice the mirrors hanging or the extra proctor but you were less obvious than the others who made it blatantly clear they were attempting to cheat. In the line of duty, to be that clumsy means pain, lots of it and possible death." A small movement from the corner of his eyes caused him to turn, watching as mini-Gai cringed, raising a hand to his chest. "To be clumsy even if they don't catch you also brings the possibility of bringing back the wrong information that harms you rather than helps you. So we weeded out the hopeless cases and snuck in a pair of chunin who already knew the answers." A lot of the genin nodded while Naruto just stared and tilted his head.

Finally Kiba said, "The impossible task." Ibiki nodded and when all the genin leveled him with a confused stare, the boy continued, "In our possible line of work as chunin and more importantly shinobi as a whole, there is no option of fleeing. Nor is there the middle ground of being safe. Its always going to be complete the mission or fail, putting lives in danger. Thus the question. Morino-san gave us two options, both difficult. Either we took the question and risked never advancing ever again in our lives or reject the question in which the whole team fails. It's a no win situation."

"You know a lot for a whelp fresh from the academy Inuzuka." Kiba just shrugged, a hand going to pet Akamaru while the other went to a silver chain around his neck.

"Everyone in my family is a shinobi. You pick things up." The boy merely responded. Ibiki nodded, he knew of Inuzuka Tsume and Hana, Kiba's mother and sister respectively.

"The first exam ends now. I wish you all luck in the next segment to come." Ibiki inwardly smiled when the realization began to dawn on all the genin. The moment of their triumph was short lived when a blur crashed through the window. Two kunai lashed out, pinning a dark roll of cloth that was unrolling into the ceiling. Behind the unrolling cloth, Ibiki sweatdropped and figured that the genin were all staring in shock at the woman.

"You all shouldn't be resting just yet kiddies. I'm your proctor for the second exam." The woman purred and Sakura recognized her as Anko, the woman who Naruto had chased off their first day as a genin cell1 and the words on the cloth behind the jonin solidified her recognition.. She grinned and a few of the genin waved, the ones that knew her before. Her dark eyes flashed and she hissed out the corner of her mouth, "You let 24 teams pass Ibiki?"

"They're a good bunch this year." Ibiki said from behind the cloth. The woman just hummed.

"Alright. You'll be cut down by half by the third round. Follow me if you want to get to your next exam." And she was out of the room like a rocket, smashing through the window she came from. Few genin were able to keep up; the team with the red head from Suna, the sole sound group and surprisingly enough, cell 8 with Kiba leading them. For a moment the other genin just sat there before Naruto and Ino with their teams burst forward with a shout of, "MUTT! SLOW DOWN!" Every other team hurried after them after the shout. Most of them were gone before Lee approached Ibiki behind the banner.

"Yes mini-Gai?" Ibiki asked the spandex wearing genin, his name escaping his thought.

"Where are they going?"

"Training Ground 44." Lee nodded his thanks and then his team shot out with Lee crashing through a second window. Ibiki groaned and he bellowed after them, "I hope you're going to pay for that window!"

* * *

Anko grinned and waited patiently for the other genin teams to arrive. Around her were Cells 7, 8, and 10, the Suna team of siblings, the Sound team and surprising them all, Cell Gai, who had arrived first. When asked, Neji had just looked at them while Lee took in their surroundings and Tenten answered, "Lee asked Morino-san where we were to meet." After about a half hour, the other teams arrived to a slightly annoyed Anko, they treaded nervously around the woman.

"Ano…where are we?" A Konoha genin asked meekly. Anko looked at them and smirked, her sadistic nature coming forward.

"Welcome…to the Forest of Death." She said. Some of the genin flinched and Naruto whistled, looking up at the training ground.

"Big place." Kiba mumbled while next to him, Hinata trembled and whispered, "It looks kinda creepy."

Anko's sudden, and slightly insane giggle made the genin jerk and they stared at her with wide eyes. She smirked and leaned slightly, settling her weight to her heels.

"You're about to see first hand why it's called the Forest of Death." She purred. The genin swallowed nervously while Kiba and Naruto snorted.

"_'You're about to see first hand why it's called the Forest of Death,'_" They mocked. The two rolled their eyes and said in unison, "If you're trying to psych us out it won't work."

"Cocky runts aren't you?" Anko sneered. She reached for a kunai and it sped past Naruto and Kiba only to meet with a clang against a tanto. If anything, all three looked surprised and Shino just merely deflected the thrown weapon with the blade he apparently had had in his sleeves. Shino sent Anko a look that she took as a warning if his narrowed eyebrows were any indication while Kiba quietly got his teammate to place the tanto away. Sliding the blade into its sheath, Shino slid the weapon back into his sleeves. Anko watched the Aburame for a moment before she huffed and turned to the genin, procuring a large stack of papers. She was about to speak when a freakishly long tongue reached out for her, her deflected kunai in its grasp.

"Your kunai…" The owner of the tongue rasped. Anko nodded and took it back, a free hand going to rub her neck in a nonchalant manner. The action was not unnoticed. Naruto's eyes narrowed and Kiba's hand went to his katana while Ino and Lee took a step towards their teammates.

"Now I have some consent forms for you all to sign. Just in case you know? It releases us from being responsible for you deaths since you all know what to expect." Her voice was cheerful enough and she handed out the leaflets of paper. "This segment of the Chunin exams is a no-holds-barred survival test. The point is to make it alive to the tower about 10 kilometers in from any entrance you wish. The entire training ground is circular and they're all evenly spaced from the tower so any entrance is the same. You may use anything in your arsenal to reach the tower. It's going to be a fight to the death version of _"Capture the Flag"_ or in this case, _"Capture the scroll"_."

"Scroll?" Tenten asked. The woman nodded and motioned to a chunin nearby. He tossed something at her and she caught both, two scrolls, one with heaven written on it, the other had earth.

"The point is to get to the two scrolls before the five day limit is over. You need both to be able to enter the tower." Anko said cheerily. "There are 24 teams so half of you will have the Heaven scroll and the other half will have the earth scroll. Like I said, there is a five day limit to get to the tower. You may be disqualified for any of the following, failing to reach the tower within five days, a teammate is lost due to death or severe injury, and leaving the forest before the permitted time. Oh and reading the scrolls before reaching the tower is also absolutely forbidden." The woman scanned all the faces, some nervous and others impassive. "We'll trade a scroll for every three forms we receive from each team. When you have your scroll, go to a gate. There's forty-four around the perimeter and you all will start at the same time." The teams began to line up and Anko couldn't help but add, "One last bit of advice, _stay alive_."

* * *

Outside Gate 20, the sole sound group prepared for the venture into the forest. The two male genin just looked around lazily, eyes taking in everything and giving nothing back. The only female looked a bit nervous. An eye glanced her over and the other asked, "First mission out of the village?"

"Yea…" The girl mumbled. The half mummified one just hummed.

"Just don't fail." And the clock chimed. Gates bursting open, the genin charged through.

Over at gate 12, a certain blonde grinned and with a quick seal, was off before his team realized it. Shaking his head, Sasuke followed with a slightly nervous Sakura behind him.

"Slow down Naruto!" Sakura cried after her blond teammate. Naruto looked back and with a sheepish grin, he slowed and waited for his two teammates to catch up. "What's the rush?"

"The scroll. We only have five days to make it to the tower." Was Naruto's reply. The team landed in a clearing and suddenly a scream split the air. Naruto sighed and looked grim. "It starts now. One team down."

"This place is really creeping me out." Sakura said honestly. Naruto looked at her and sighed. Reaching into a side pocket on his pants he withdrew a scroll. Looking it over he sighed again. "Naruto?"

"Take the scroll teme and you'll do fine Sakura. I gotta use the bathroom." And without another word, the blonde disappeared into the bushes. When he decided he was far enough away, he formed hand seals. Grinning, he slammed his hands to the ground and a puff of smoke appeared. When it cleared, Naruto was staring into the dark eyes of a fox kit. Seeing Naruto, it yipped happily and bounded around his feet. "Go little kit." And it sped off through the forest. He spun, kunai in hand to block the other as they appeared. He smirked. "Let's go."

The ame shinobi looked surprised, eyes widening. The next thing he knew, he was flying back and Naruto had vanished in a blur of smoke. A foot collided into the genin's back and there was a satisfying crack, Naruto looking down on him. The boy's blue eyes flashed and Naruto kicked him into the clearing. The blonde boy just looked at him in disgust and rummaged around his clothing. Grinning, he pulled out a scroll.

"Mission completed."

* * *

"I guess we're lucky." Hinata said softly as Cell 8 rushed from tree to tree. "The team that the Flying Leeches attacked had the scroll we needed."

The other two nodded and suddenly, Kiba stopped, landing roughly on the branch and spinning around. He withdrew a scroll from his pockets and with a quick release seal, traps covered the forest ground. The Inuzuka smirked and hurried to his teammates.

"I want you guys to get to the tower first. I'll meet you there." And before they could protest, Kiba and Akamaru were off. Growling, Shino and Hinata ricocheted off a branch and were on the tail of their companion. They caught up quickly and Kiba sent them an irritated glare.

"Fine. Just keep up." And Cell 8 blurred on.

* * *

"That feels better," Naruto said brightly when he reappeared. Sakura sent him a disgusted look while Sasuke just scoffed. The Uchiha blinked when Naruto tossed him a scroll. "I was ambushed when I was using the bathroom. Sickos. The other team had another heaven scroll."

"What are we going to do with another Heaven scroll?" Sakura asked. Naruto shrugged.

"Leverage?" He offered. "Maybe a team has two earth scrolls and they'll trade for one of our Heaven Scrolls."

"Who in their right mind would do that?" Sasuke snorted.

"Naruto!" The voice came from above and the team was instantly on guard, looking up at the treetops. A dark green blur dropped down followed by the girl's teammates. "Lee spotted the teme on his way to the tower. Kiba is in pursuit right now."

"Is he with his team?" At Ino's nod, Naruto growled. "Alert Gaara and have them back Kiba up. Then find the Sound team and alert them as well."

"The sound sir?" Ino squeaked. Naruto gave her a smirk.

"They're my scouts this time." At that Ino's eyes widened and with a quick nod, she tried to rush off only to realize Shikamaru was holding her shadow in place. "Shikamaru?"

"Shika-kun?" Ino asked.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, confused. Shikamaru sighed and he slid his hands into his pockets in a casual manner. Ino noticed something was off when she didn't mimic his actions. Her eyes widened and Naruto looked suspicious. At his current level, Shikamaru shouldn't be able to keep hold of someone's shadow without them moving when he did.

"Permission to speak freely Hokage-sama." Naruto shot him a stunned look and Shikamaru smiled faintly. "Perhaps it would be wise to summon an ally and we would engage the enemy in range of the tower. That way Anko-san and Sandaime-sama will have news of what to expect?"

Naruto looked at him for a moment and the Nara heir nodded. Naruto smiled when he recognized the familiar glimmer of his tactician from the future behind his eyes. Even though everyone else was confused, Naruto grinned and raised his fist, lightly bumping knuckles with the other genin. "Very well. We'll do as you say. Will you do the honors Shikamaru?"

"My pleasure sir." And the other flashed through hand seals before slamming his hands to the ground with a roar of, "NINPO: KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

* * *

A/N: Whoohoo! New twist! Haha! Betcha you didn't see that coming! Actually I didn't either! Anyways! Here's the end of Chapter 10! I think I might have rushed it a little bit but I'm pretty sure it'll even out in the end. Thanks to all my reviewers! Until next time everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Once again…I am very late. I'm terribly sorry. School has been such a bother lately. And…I've been kinda lazy to boot. Sorry!! I'll shut up now. Oh…And to all my reviewers and fans, thanks for all the support!!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter 11: To The Tower

She clutched the beast's fur tightly in her hands as they all rushed towards the tower. Her blue eyes wavered a glance at the boy at the very front of the summon and she turned to look at the blonde riding a similar canine-ish beast. She tilted her head slightly and the blonde shrugged.

"Kiba, where are you?" Shikamaru asked into his hand. Ino and the other Rookies looked confused and when Sakura made to ask, the genius glowered and tapped his ear.

"We're in pursuit Shikamaru," the voice flittered into his ears and Shikamaru hummed lightly.

"I'm ordering you not to engage them Inuzuka-taichou. Chase them to the tower. We'll met you there," Shikamaru said coldly. "Do NOT engage them."

"Shikamaru?" Chouji asked curiously. The genin just clicked his tongue and the beasts they all were riding spurred faster.

* * *

"When we get to the tower, I want the two of you to go in, open the scrolls and get help," Kiba ordered harshly as he and his team rushed through the forest. Hinata looked concerned while Shino's brows furrowed in annoyance. He smiled grimly though his teammates couldn't see and Akamaru whined softly in his coat. "Yeah, I know buddy. This'll be a major pain."

"Inuzuka!" The genin landed hard on a branch and his eyes glanced backwards, narrowing at the team from the Sound. The only female grinned and removed her headband, shaking her hair from her eyes as she tied it up messily. The other two just shook their heads, the half-mummified one reaching to removed part of his bandages, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "Yamanaka-Taichou sent us to help."

"And why should I believe you?" Kiba snarled, his anger causing his chakra to spike dangerously. The only other sound member snorted and crossed his arms.

"Because I'm the only one who knows that you might, perhaps fancy your best friend." The boy said flatly. Kiba's jaw dropped for a moment and his ears reddened under his hair. He turned away and coughed.

"Right then," Kiba mumbled, blushing faintly when both Hinata and Shino looked at him curiously. "Er…Assume formation. I want the guy whose posing as a girl in the back and the mummy to back him up. You," He pointed to the smug looking one and he blushed darker. "You're with me. Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame will be in the middle."

"Guy posing as a girl?" Hinata squeaked, wide pale lavender eyes staring at the "girl". She was given a grin and Kiba cleared his throat.

"Come on. We don't have time. The others are waiting for us at the Tower."

* * *

The woman paced irritably inside the tower and the two chuunin with her grimaced. Kotetsu looked at Izumo who shook his head and the two went back to watching the pacing Anko. The Sandaime sat quietly at his desk, watching the three with confused amusement.

"Is something the matter Anko-chan?" The voice was cool and the woman glowered, chocolate eyes boring into the other man. Behind his mask, Kakashi grinned and Anko hissed. Suddenly, a loud boom rocked the walls of the tower and Anko instantly ran to the window. Her eyes widened as a shout rang from below.

"Give up Snake-Teme!" Naruto shrieked, a blazing aura of chakra surrounding him. Behind him, Ino winced as she draped her coat over a shaken Hinata and Sakura. Kiba spat on the ground, dark chocolate eyes glowering at the grass shinobi and he drew the katana at his waist. Shikamaru's face was blank even as he settled into a stance in front of the confused members of the Rookie 9 and Cell Gai, Lee at his right.

"How insulting if you think that children like you can beat me," The shinobi purred. There was a scoff and the sound team emerged from the forest. "Good. You're all here."

"Hokage-sama," They chorused and the opposing genin blanched. Their very images shattered and a young teen grinned, ice needles in his hands and a thin mist forming around him. Momochi Haku.

A blue skinned man smirked widely, swinging the large blade he held, liking it when the grass nin paled further. Hoshigaki Kisame.

The final member, a slighter man that stood next to the swordsman, shook his head and there was a strangled cry from Sasuke. Red pin wheeled eyes blazed to life. Uchiha Itachi.

"Good. You haven't started yet," A voice said flatly as a swirl of sand marked the arrival of the Sand team. Temari snapped her fan free from its confines and Kankuro pulled the bandaged package from his back. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he stood next to Naruto, his chakra practically singing with his friend's.

"Wouldn't want to have all the fun without you," Ino said simply. She looked up at the tower and at the stunned faces staring down at them. "Coming down Hebe-chan?" And Anko leapt from the window, Kotetsu and Izumo behind her, to land behind the grass genin. Kakashi and the Sandaime were quickly behind them.

"What is going on?" The Sandaime questioned. Naruto paid him no attention, settling his weight onto his heels, a wild smirk covering his face when a rock exploded, pieces flying into the clearing. Honou Tsunade had arrived.

"Feelin' lucky Orochimaru?" The slug sannin purred. The disguised Orochimaru snarled in anger. Naruto smirked wider, chakra rising even more.

"There's no way out Orochimaru," Naruto hissed.

* * *

"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" The Sandaime roared angrily, slamming his hands onto the polished desk. Many of the children and shinobi in front of him flinched. The man glowered at them, eyes flashing angrily. No one met his gaze, not even the loud blonde that was the Kyuubi Carrier. Naruto was looking at the ground, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, one of his wristbands missing.

Scattered around the room were shinobi in various states. Sabaku no Gaara was seated in a chair towards the corner of the room, sand covering half his face and his entire right arm; his forehead had yet to stop bleeding. His siblings, Temari and Kankuro were seated at his feet, Temari wincing every time she moved while Kankuro cradled his broken arm. Leaning against Gaara's chair was Ino, exhaustion lining her face as she fought to keep her eyes open; dried blood caked the cut along her arm.

Ignoring the complete seriousness of the situation, Kiba was leaned against the wall, head dropped to his chest as he slept, Akamaru standing guard at his master's feet. The Inuzuka's leg was bound with the remains of his light jacket, blood seeping steadily through the fabric. Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata were a bit father away, the Hyuuga sitting in a chair with the Aburame Heir behind her, his arms resting along the wooden back. For the most part, the two of them were mostly unharmed.

Sasuke was sitting rigidly in a chair, dark eyes glowering at his elder brother who stood in clear sight of both the Sandaime and Kakashi, the swordsman of the mist next to him, a hand on his sword. Sakura and Chouji were seated on the floor next to the Uchiha Heir, watching everything around them. They too were relatively unharmed.

Tsunade and Haku were over by Shikamaru and Cell Gai, healing a quickly as they could. Shikamaru was pale, the glow of healing chakra making him seem paler, as Haku tried to seal the hole along chest and shoulder. Tsunade was busy hovering over Lee who, despite all protests that he was fine, was losing a lot of blood through the gash on his stomach. Tenten and Neji looked a bit on the green side as the Legendary Slug sannin healed their spandex clad teammate. Anko was quiet, unable to meet the Sandaime's gaze as she stood quietly next to Kakashi; Kotetsu and Izumo were in the Hospital ward next door, both getting poison flushed from their systems by other medic nin.

"Is anyone going to tell me?" The Sandaime barked. "Naruto!"

The blonde flinched but he still didn't look up. Frustrated tears blurred the corners of his vision and he angrily ran a hand over his eyes, sniffing slightly. He had been _so_ close! _So close_ to getting Orochimaru once and for all! Hearing the Sandaime bark his name again, he jerked his head up and snarled,

"What the bloody hell do you want me to tell you? That your student came back to kidnap and manipulate Uchiha Sasuke into defecting the village? Or that you'll die by Orochimaru's hand?! What the hell do you want me to friggin tell you!?" Naruto began to pace, his chakra manifesting around him like a billowing cloak. Taking a shaking breath, he ran a hand down his face. Turning to look at the stunned Hokage, he smiled grimly, his voice lowering. "You died jiji-san. Most of you did."

"Naruto," Gaara warned. The blonde said nothing more and Tsunade smiled sadly, finished with closing Lee's wound.

"Why don't you kids go get some rest. We'll talk more later," Tsunade ignored the frustrated glower at her back and the genin began to file out, Shino pausing only to wake Kiba. Naruto hadn't moved and Tsunade crossed to gently rub his shoulders. "Go on Naruto. Get some rest, Anko you too."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Anko said meekly, limping from the room. Naruto had to be forced into motion and Haku led the younger boy out. Tsunade turned and raised her eyebrows expectantly at Kakashi. His single eye narrowed but he followed the unspoken command, Itachi and Kisame not more than a few steps behind him. The medic nin turned to the Sandaime.

"This'll take a long time Sensei."

* * *

It was a tense silence as the group trudged on through the halls, some limping more than others and people stared as they passed. The entered the room for the people who got past the forest and they sat heavily on the various scattered chairs. Naruto trudged in last, eyes downcast and his chakra slowly lowering down into a warm, comforting blanket. A lot of people were uneasy as the boy walked in, even his teammates. Kakashi signaled that it was alright, even though two S-class missing nin were in their party. Nervous, they listened and hastened to get back to work.

"…" Ino sighed softly, leaning against Gaara as Naruto began to pace. Kiba limped up, wincing when his leg pulled and took a seat next to a slightly wary Shino, Hinata casting him a wary glance. Akamaru whined softly, sensing the apprehension and Kiba smiled grimly, moving away to sit near Lee and Shikamaru. The two glanced at him and they nodded, beginning to converse in low tones.

"DAMN IT!" The sudden shout scared everyone shitless and every able bodied shinobi was on his/her feet, whirling to stare as Naruto crumpled to the ground. The blonde fisted his hands and he punched angrily at the floor, his knuckles bursting open at contact. "DAMN IT! Damn it all!"

"Naruto-kun?!" Sakura squeaked and Itachi and Kisame rushed forward to grab the boy's fists. Kakashi had drawn his kunai, instinctively wanting to protect his student from the missing nin. Naruto snarled and shoved the two off of him.

"Don't touch me!" He barked, summer blue eyes dark with emotion. Slowly, the two missing nin backed off and let the younger pound his anger and frustrations onto the stone floor. Soon, the once pristinely white tiles were stained crimson with Naruto's blood and he sagged limply onto his knees. Itachi and Kisame smiled faintly and sadly before pulling Naruto up by his armpits and leading him to a chair. When he looked back up, everyone was slightly startled and frightened at how old the 12 year-old looked.

"You alright now Naruto?" Itachi asked quietly. The blonde shook his head, looking down at his crimson colored hands.

"The sonofabitch got away Itachi-fukutaichou. Am I going to be friggin alright?" Naruto hissed. Itachi just nodded and ruffled the boy's hair.

"We'll get him." Ino said from where she was, her voice small and fragile. "He didn't mark anyone so it's all good though."

"You two should leave before the penalty Itachi-nii, Kisame-san," Kiba mumbled, burying his head into his arms. The two blinked and remembered they were missing nin.

"Yeah, oh well. I for one don't plan on leaving anytime soon." Kisame drawled easily, plopping into the open seat next to Kakashi who cast him a warning glower. Haku shook his head and walked towards Naruto, healing his hands and cleaning off the blood.

Silence reigned again and as the shinobi changed shifts, many watched Kisame and Itachi closely, noting that some ANBU had shown up, around various places in the room.

"I'm hungry," Head swiveled and turned to stare at the boy. For a moment everyone just blinked, staring at the Inuzuka as if he had grown two heads. Kiba just responded with an "I don't give a shit, Bite me" kind of grin. Naruto looked at him and a smile quirked his lips. Then he began to giggle, burying his face in his hands as they grew louder. Across the room, Ino laughed into Gaara's shoulder and the redhead tried not to snicker as Ino's breath tickled his skin and at the absurdity of the comment.

"We just barely survived a deadly encounter and all you can say is "I'm hungry"?" Sakura shrieked, ignoring the way her lips quirked when she repeated Kiba's statement. Kiba blinked and nodded slowly.

"Sure. Why not? After all, one can't mope about the situation on an empty stomach," Kiba said with a shrug of his shoulders. His tone of voice was like he was lecturing a child about a logical thing and although it was a ridiculous statement, it was actually quite logical; to Kiba anyway.

* * *

"I see," In the dim light of the room, Tsunade could tell that her sensei was not very pleased. His old visage looked even older as the news settled on his shoulders. "Tell them to rest. In four days will the end of the second exam."

"Sensei?" Tsunade questioned. Dark, slightly beady eyes looked up at her.

"We shall continue as if nothing is wrong. When the children recover, I want you to take Haruno Sakura, and Hyuuga Hinata under your wing. The school and the hospital shall begin to take medical apprentices," Tsunade was speechless for a moment before she nodded and turned to go. "Oh, and tell Itachi-kun and Hoshigaki-san to come see me."

"Hai Sensei," and Tsunade left, pondering on the situation. She nodded to a few people as she passed them before she pushed open the door to the waiting area. She stopped for a few seconds at the doorway before shaking her head at the giggling children. "I don't want to know. Itachi-kun, Fishface, Sandaime-sensei wants to see you."

"…" Itachi nodded and walked out the door while Kisame scowled at the nickname. He flipped Tsunade the bird and waltzed out behind his companion but not before Tsunade tapped him on his shoulder, sending him flying from the room. The hallway rang with curses as the two shinobi walked down the hall.  
"What's jiji-san say?" Naruto asked, sobering from his bout of laughter.

"The exam continues and that you all should get some rest," Tsunade said softly. Naruto nodded, folding his legs beneath him as he shifted on his chair.

"Sounds like the Sandaime," said Shikamaru respectfully. His off hand comment caused Hyuuga Neji to bolt to his feet.

"What the hell is going on? Who was that man we were fighting?" Neji shrieked. It took a few minutes for his questions to sink in and Kiba winced, his ears ringing with the _shrillness_ of Neji's voice.

"Ow," Temari said flatly. "Man, you're a screamer."

Kakashi snorted and Kankuro chortled at his sister's words. Anko smirked, leaning against Kakashi's chair as the Hyuuga prodigy tried to make heads and tails of the statement.

"The man we were fight is known as Orochimaru, one of the top shinobi in the bingo book," Lee said solemnly. "He's decades old but he steals and transfers his soul from body to body. He's got a grudge against the Sandaime because the Sandaime picked the Fourth to be Hokage instead of him."

"Why _**we**_ were fighting him is none of your business," Anko said flatly. "Why _**you**_ were fighting with _**us**_ and getting into _**our**_ way was because you got caught in the middle and didn't know the meaning of _flee_."

* * *

"Welcome to our ranks." And two pairs of hands took the offered headbands. "We hope that you will assist us in the upcoming war."

A/N: And here is where we shall end! I know that a chapter this short is no way for me to apologize for being rather late and lazy but I'm working on it! I promise. I just have to balance Calculus homework, English reading, and a children's story and all my stories online. I'll work on it! Honest! Read and Review! Reviews are much appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Once again…I am very late. I'm terribly sorry. School has been such a bother lately. And…I've been kinda lazy to boot. Sorry!!!!!!! I'll shut up now. Oh…And to all my reviewers and fans, thanks for all the support!!! But here's the 12th chapter of Foresight!

(Disclaimer: Hey! This is Breezy's mind. She doesn't, nor her mind, own Naruto. If we own anything it will be stated above or at the bottom. Got that Memorized?)

Chapter 12: Preliminaries I

With a ragged gasp, the genin woke and he moaned lightly under his breath when his leg pulled painfully. He had healed fine after his "training" session with Hinata and Hanabi a few weeks ago but now, he just had to deal with more injuries. Dark chocolate eyes looked around and he sighed softly before pushing himself to his feet, using the wall to steady himself. Kiba looked carefully around before he limped his way out of the room.

Eyes opened and the other frowned, watching as the Inuzuka limped out. Quiet and making sure his footsteps didn't ring, Gaara gently shifted Ino off his shoulders and stood, making sure that the girl was comfortable before he followed the other genin.

"Kazekage-sama," Kiba murmured quietly when Gaara arrived next to him; he hadn't gotten very far on his leg after all, eventually settling for leaning against the wall just a few meters down the hall from the room they were all staying in. Gaara looked concerned, or rather, as concerned as he was allowed to and tilted his head. Kiba gave a faint smile and the two settled into a comfortable silence. "We could've had him today couldn't we?"

"I don't doubt it," Gaara responded, his voice low. Kiba grimaced and he slid down the wall, pulling his good leg up and leaving his wounded one spread out in front of him.

"I formally apologize for my teammates," Kiba said softly. Gaara looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps had they not been there, we could've taken on Orochimaru,"

"What you mean to say," a new voice answered and Naruto emerged from the shadows. "Is that had they not been there, or any of the other genin not from our time, we would've won?" Kiba nodded, lowering his head slightly. Naruto snorted." Kiba-taichou, I shall disagree with you," and Kiba's head shot up. "Had they not been there, we wouldn't have gotten away as easy as we did. Perhaps they were hindering a little bit since we felt obliged to protect them from Orochimaru but they did help in the last few moments my friend,"

"After all, Hinata-san, Neji-san and Aburame-san saved you and Shikarmaru-kun," Naruto finished with a wry grin. "You got away with that cut on your leg,"

"Naruto-sama," Kiba murmured softly. He looked up and gave a half-grin, looking pale in the light. "Did you _see_ what Orochimaru cut me with?"

"Kusa—" Naruto cut off abruptly and he looked sharply at Kiba. The other genin looked pale, frighteningly so and a light sheen of sweat dotted his forehead. His jacket on his leg was almost soaked through with blood and his hands were shaking at his side. "Gaara, go get Ino,"

Gaara was quick to obey and his voice rang through the room, jerking his siblings, Ino, Lee, and Shikamaru awake and Naruto glared slightly at Kiba. Kiba looked up and smiled sheepishly.

"You dumb mutt!" Ino shrilled quietly as she stormed from the room and Kiba couldn't help but laugh faintly. Behind her were Temari and Kankuro, while Shikarmau frowned, shaking his head.

"You should've told us earlier Kiba-taichou," Lee said with a shake of his head. Kiba just grinned and stifled a gasp as Temari and Ino gently removed his jacket from his leg. The skin was blotted purple and the cut almost looked black, the skin along the edges raised. A few of the other genin looked sick while Kakashi grimaced. He had new-found respect for the Inuzuka if he was able to suffer through that. "Do you know what it is?"

"If I didn't," Kiba muttered with gritted teeth. "I'd be dead before now, wouldn't I?"

"Good thing you're only suffering a fever," Ino said with a frown as she gently dabbed the sweat from his face. "Did you remove the poison earlier?"

* * *

By the time morning came, the genin were all back in the room, some sleeping, other awake and alert. Kiba was in the former category, his head dropped to his chest and his tattered jacket removed from his leg as he leaned against the wall, soft cotton bandages wrapped gently over his injured leg. The moment everyone else was awake, Gaara and Naruto had ordered that no one woke Kiba under pain of death and castration if they did. The fact that they had a scary pair of former missing nin standing behind them only made the agreement faster and with more vigorous nods. And even though they were given agreement by the other Rookie Nine and Cell Gai, Kiba had a very defensive guard near him at all times, Akamaru.

"He's been sleeping all day," Hinata murmured softly as noon rolled around. Her lavender eyes looked backwards and at her teammate snoring lightly against the wall. Shino nodded a quiet affirmative and across from them Lee looked towards the genin.

"Ino-chan?" He called out, leaning his chair backwards and the blonde girl looked up from talking with Shikamaru. "His fever broke right?"

"Around five this morning," the girl answered. Hinata frowned and Shino's brows furrowed. Fever?

"Wow, looks like you all made it," the voice made Lee inwardly frowned as he glanced at Kabuto and his entering team. "Not bad for a bunch of wet-behind the ears brats."

"Gotta problem?" the voice was short and annoyed and heads swiveled to see Kiba slowly getting to his feet. Naruto and Gaara paused in the conversation and they looked at the Inuzuka. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more and lightly tapped his leg. He frowned but said nothing, limping towards the older genin. "Well too bad, cause we're all here Yakushi," He nodded to Naruto before settling in a seat next to Ino and Shikamaru.

"Glad to see you up," Shikamaru said quietly.

"Where've you gotten to in discussing tactics?" was Kiba's response and the other two smiled faintly.

* * *

Three days came and went and soon, the genin were all facing their instructors and the Hokage as they stood in well evened rows. There were a total of 6 teams passing; Cell 7, Cell 8, Cell 10, Cell Gai, the Sand Team, and Kaubto Yakushi's team. More or less, all the genin were healed as they stood waiting orders. Kiba still limped slightly but that didn't bother him. It seemed as if they were all waiting for someone and there was a burst of smoke in the center of the room. When it cleared, a familiar senbon chewing jonin stood there, expression bored.

"Before we start the third round of the chuunin exam, we need to have a preliminary round," Genma said flatly and without preamble. Behind him, the other instructors looked slightly amused and confused . Wasn't it supposed to be Gekko Hayate who was the proctor for the exam? The Hokage looked undisturbed and didn't bother interrupting the younger man as he spoke. "Because, frankly, there are too many of you and we weren't expecting so many people to pass."

"That board up there will determine who will battle who as the preliminaries go on," he continued, waving a lazy hand up at the screen as it came down. "These matches are completely random so if you get paired with a teammate, fight well. If anyone feels that they're unable to fight please bow out now," His eyes flickered around and he waited. No hand rose nor did anyone say anything. "Very well, then," He waved a hand again at the board and two names appeared. Yakushi Kabuto vs. Rock Lee. "Everyone else please head up and the two of you please stay."

"Good luck," Tenten murmured to her teammate and Lee merely nodded, eyes looking at the genin. He didn't seem too worried.

"Begin!"

And Lee charged. His form blazed out of sight and the next thing people knew, Kabuto was flying through the air to land at the base of the stone statue in the room. He managed to flip over and right himself when a vicious kick to his ribs sent the man careening down in to the stone floor, indenting into the floor. In seconds, Lee stood over his downed opponent, his foot crushing the man's windpipe.

"Do you yield?" His voice was cold and people shuddered. Kabuto glared up at him defiantly and Lee pressed down harder. He gagged and nodded. Lee sneered and he leaned down, removing his foot. "This isn't the end traitor," and Lee turned, marching away as Genma declared him the winner.

"That…was really quick," Sakura squeaked. Lee looked at her and smirked slightly before nodding to Naruto and returning to his team. Naruto hummed softly and watched as Kabuto was taken away. While the genin saw blurs, the jonin saw Lee's brutality. He struck without mercy and even though it was only basic taijutsu, each blow was quick and vicious. The Sandaime wouldn't be surprised if Kabuto had broken bones.

* * *

A/N: And I'm gonna end it right there. Sorry that this chapter isn't very long. I ran out of ideas -halfway through. But besides that, the match-ups for the next battles are open. Remember that the remainng people who haven't fought are: Naruto, Gaara, Ino, Kiba, Shikarmaru, Kankuro, Temari, TenTen. Chouji, Neji, Sasuke (Sasugay!!XD), Sakura, Hinata, Shino and Kabuto's creepy teammates.


End file.
